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Thelonious Monk

Portrait Gallery

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Object Details

Artist

Boris Chaliapin, 22 Sep 1904 - 18 May 1979

Sitter

Thelonious Sphere Monk, 10 Oct 1917 - 17 Feb 1982

Exhibition Label

Born Rocky Mount, North Carolina
A leader of the postwar jazz revolution, Thelonious Monk—along with Dizzy Gillespie (shown nearby) and Charlie Parker—sparked the Bebop movement, a jazz style faster and more frenetic than the swing that had held sway since the thirties. Monk’s piano style has been called eccentric: “His melodies were angular, his harmonies full of jarring clusters.” His recording career took off in the mid-1950s, and he gained an enthusiastic following, often playing with avant-garde musicians John Coltrane and Sonny Rollins. His compositions “Round Midnight,” “Blue Monk,” and “Epistrophy” are considered classics of modern jazz.
Nacido en Rocky Mount, Carolina del Norte
Uno de los líderes de la revolución del jazz en la posguerra fue Thelonious Monk, quien junto a Dizzy Gillespie y Charlie Parker encendió la chispa del bebop, un estilo más rápido y frenético que el swing imperante desde la década de 1930. El estilo pianístico de Monk se ha calificado de excéntrico: “sus melodías eran angulosas, sus armonías llenas de acordes chocantes”. Su carrera discográfica despegó en la década de 1950 y le ganó una entusiasta fanaticada. Solía tocar con otros artistas de vanguardia como John Coltrane y Sonny Rollins. Sus composiciones “Round Midnight”, “Blue Monk”
y “Epistrophy” se consideran clásicos del jazz moderno.

Collection Description

In 1978, Time magazine donated approximately eight hundred works of original cover art to the National Portrait Gallery. The museum is dedicated to telling the stories of individuals who have shaped the United States, and the Time Collection—featuring prominent international figures and events—enriches our understanding of the United States in a global context.
En 1978, la revista Time donó a la National Portrait Gallery cerca de 800 obras de arte originales creadas para sus portadas. Nuestro museo se dedica a narrar la historia de figuras que han contribuido a forjar el desarrollo de Estados Unidos, y es así que la Colección Time, que incluye retratos de importantes personalidades internacionales, nos ayuda a comprender mejor a nuestra nación en un contexto global.

Credit Line

National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of Time magazine

Date

1964

Object number

NPG.78.TC596

Restrictions & Rights

Usage conditions apply

Copyright

© Chris Murphy

Type

Painting

Medium

Oil on canvas

Dimensions

Stretcher: 53.3 x 38.1 x 2.5cm (21 x 15 x 1")
Frame: 65.4 x 49.8 x 6cm (25 3/4 x 19 5/8 x 2 3/8")

See more items in

National Portrait Gallery Collection

Exhibition

American Winners: Athletes and Entertainers Who Shaped the Nation

On View

NPG, West Gallery 240

Data Source

National Portrait Gallery

Topic

Costume\Headgear\Hat
Personal Attribute\Facial Hair\Mustache
Personal Attribute\Facial Hair\Beard
Costume\Dress Accessory\Feather
Costume\Dress Accessory\Neckwear\Tie\Necktie
Thelonious Sphere Monk: Male
Thelonious Sphere Monk: Arts and Culture\Performing Arts\Music\Musician\Composer
Thelonious Sphere Monk: Arts and Culture\Performing Arts\Music\Musician\Pianist
Thelonious Sphere Monk: Arts and Culture\Performing Arts\Music\Musician\Jazz musician
Thelonious Sphere Monk: Literary awards\Pulitzer Prize
Thelonious Sphere Monk: Performing arts awards\Grammy\Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
Portrait

Metadata Usage

Usage conditions apply

Link to Original Record

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm4f03c83f2-d2f5-4f13-8f0a-3a3c1a94d8ac

Record ID

npg_NPG.78.TC596

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