Josephine 1991 74x51 - Huge Mural Size

Year1991

Hand SignedLower Right in Pigment 

Condition Excellent 

Framed without GlassGold Frame 

Purchased fromOther 2021 

Provenance / HistoryPurchased in the French Quarter of New Orleans, LA 

Story / Additional InfoFor nearly four decades of his 48-year life, William Tolliver committed himself to mastering his artistic talent. This journey began when he was seven, ignited by familial art contests. In 1991, his passion led him from Lafayette, Louisiana, to Atlanta, Georgia. There, he etched his name in history as the first African-American to open an art gallery in Atlanta's Buckhead district.

The Vicksburg, Mississippi native excelled in figure studies, portraits, landscapes, and semi-abstracts, his talent honed not through formal training but an insatiable curiosity that led him to devour over 4,000 books on various subjects, predominantly art. Tolliver self-educated, studying the greats: Chagall, Monet, Van Gogh, and Picasso.

Tolliver's work has been showcased with the Smithsonian Museum of Art, and he was commissioned by the Olympic Games Committee to create a piece, "Spirit of Georgia," for the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. 

Certificate of AuthenticityThe Estate of William Tolliver 

Additional InformationBig Price Drop 

LID161687

William Tolliver - United States

Art Brokerage: Park West Artist: William Tolliver American Artist: William Tolliver spent more than 30 of his 48 years perfecting his skill as a painter. His style freely combines the color of Chagall with the solid compositional principles of Cezanne and the mood and forms of Modigliani and Picasso. Tolliver's words of wisdom for the young artist were, "I would urge an art student to go to school and learn the fundamentals, because to know the fundamentals is to know the technical aspects of blending colors." Today, his art is collected worldwide. William Tolliver died in 2000. Listings wanted.