Outdoor Marketplace with Umbrellas

As a scholar, James A. Porter was particularly interested in Africa’s influence on African American art and culture. He was awarded a grant to conduct research on African art in West Africa, Nigeria, and Egypt from 1963 to 1964. This drawing is from a sketchbook the artist James A. Porter used while he lived in Lagos, Nigeria during that time. The drawing includes three sketches: a busy market scene under two umbrellas featuring a seated woman at right; a second view of the market with a figure putting away her wares in a car; and a more detailed sketch of two hand-pulled carts. These sketches, most likely drawn from direct observation at the market, demonstrate Porter’s interest in place and figures in movement.