African Headdress

African Headdress, Hale Woodruff

Date: 1935

Material: Linocut, edition 7/10

Size: 11 1/2 × 9 in. (29.2 × 22.9 cm)

Collection: Spelman Museum of Fine Arts

African Headdress by Hale Woodruff was made in 1935. Like all African-American artists during this time period, Woodruff created a piece in direct response to Alain Locke’s call on artists to use African inspired themes. This black and white linoleum print is composed of an African woman surrounded by vegetation. Woodruff is challenging the ideal European beauty standard of America by creating a depiction of an African woman wearing traditional headwear. This is shown through Woodruff’s exaggeration of the facial features such as the enlarged forehead, and long nose. Woodruff’s art piece is in conversation with Lois Mailou Jones's pieces because like Jones, Woodruff is reclaiming the beauty of African features.