Downes Curtis
Pencil study on yellow tracing paper
13 ¾” x 16 ¼”
1935
Black-and-white lithograph
11 5/8” x 14 3/4” plate
Downes and his brother Albert Curtis were successful sailmakers in Oxford, Maryland. In both the study and black-and white lithograph, we see Downes Curtis as he is working quietly in his Tilghman Street loft. At the time, the small town was fondly referred to as a “nautical paradise.”
In studies for this lithograph, the artist worked with Curtis and his English colleague interchangeably as models. The final print features Curtis as a highly skilled man devoted to his art. This print, which honors Curtis’s fine craftsmanship, has become one of the most popular lithographs illustrating early black professionals.
