A rich reconsideration of a short-lived but visionary voice in twentieth-century American painting and his enduring relevance Bob Thompson (1937-1966) came to critical acclaim in the late 1950s for paintings of unparalleled figurative complexity and chromatic intensity. Thompson drew upon the Western art-historical canon to formulate a highly personal, expressive language. Tracing the African American artist's prolific, yet tragically brief, transatlantic career, this volume examines Thompson's outlier status and pays close attention to his sustained engagements with themes of community, visibility, and justice. As the contributors contextualize the artist's ambitions and his unique creative process, they reposition Thompson as a predecessor to contemporary artists such as Kerry James Marshall and Kehinde Wiley. Featuring an array of artwork, and never-before-published poems and archival materials, this study situates Thompson's extraordinary output within ongoing dialogues about the politics of representation. Published in association with Colby College Museum of Art Exhibition Schedule: Colby College Museum of Art, Waterville, ME (July 20, 2021-January 9, 2022) Smart Museum of Art, The University of Chicago (February 10-May 15, 2022) High Museum of Art, Atlanta (June 18-September 11, 2022) Hammer Museum, Los Angeles (October 9, 2022-January 8, 2023)

The Princeton University Art Museum' s collection of American drawings and watercolors is impressive in both scope and quality, providing a comprehensive overview of the nation' s artistic traditions. This lavishly illustrated book highlights seventy-seven master drawings and watercolors chosen from the museum' s extensive collection. The selections, which range from the eighteenth century to the present, are by such eminent American artists as Benjamin West, Winslow Homer, Thomas Eakins, Mary Cassatt, Andrew Wyeth, Georgia O' Keeffe, Lee Bontecou, and Tom Wesselmann. A group of outstanding works by Hudson River School and Ash Can artists also distinguishes the collection.

Each of the selected drawings and watercolors is reproduced in full color and is accompanied by an in-depth catalogue entry. The book also features an introduction by John Wilmerding describing Princeton' s history of collecting American art, as well as an essay by Kathleen A. Foster on the historiography of American drawings and watercolors. A useful checklist of the Museum' s entire collection of over 1,300 American drawings and watercolors, selectively illustrated in color, concludes the book.

This beautiful and informative volume clearly demonstrates that the holdings of the Princeton University Art Museum represent an extraordinary resource for students, scholars, and those with a love of American art and art history.