Period.
Not "one of the greatest African American artists of the 20th century."
And Mrs. Bush shows some remarkable and simple insight in selecting this work, which was purchased for $2.5 million at a Christie's auction in May by the White House Acquisition Trust, a privately funded branch of the mansion's historical association.
According to the article, Mrs. Bush had wanted a piece by Jacob Lawrence since she had become acquainted with his work through a personal friend, who lent her a Lawrence painting that hangs in the Bushes' private dining room.
"And because it's on the wall that I look at from my chair in the dining room, I just grew to like Jacob Lawrence more and more," Mrs. Bush said.
Bravo to Mrs. Bush - she went with her guts and feelings; boo to Trescott - she went with her hard-wired "formation" in always trying to label Americans.
And I'll keep my own original Jacob Lawrence on my walls, as I have for years since I acquired it in art school, and refer to him as a great American artist when people ask me about it.
Period.
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