Clementine Hunter (1886/1887–1988) Untitled (Man Drinking), c. 1940–45 Oil on paper 13 5/8 × 12 in. The Studio Museum in Harlem; gift of Maurice C. and Patricia L. Thompson, Jr., CT 1995.4.1
Clementine Hunter used her experience working as a maid and laborer on a Louisiana plantation as fodder for her art-making practice. Her use of flat planes and contrasting colors in Untitled (Man Drinking) and Untitled (Man Dying) highlights the lush natural environment found in the South. Both works were created using thinned oil paint and featuring minimal background detail, techniques Hunter used early in her career. The artist primarily worked from memory and depicted the everyday moments she encountered in and around the plantation.