Today a Waitress
1990
"Today a Waitress" by Ernie Barnes is an acrylic painting that exemplifies the artist's distinctive style of elongated, gracefully distorted figures rendered with fluid movement and dignity. The work captures a moment of everyday labor, celebrating the humanity and poise of working people through Barnes' characteristic approach of elevating commonplace subjects to monumental psychological presence. Presented in the artist's own frame, the painting reflects Barnes' commitment to control the complete visual presentation of his socially conscious figurative compositions.
- Medium
- acrylic on canvas, in artist's frame
- Dimensions
- Signed
- Yes
- Location
- Phillips, Salt Lake City, UT
- Spotted At
- Auction House · PhillipsView on map
Notes
Execution: Painted in 1990. Exhibition History: New York, Grand Central Art Galleries, Inc.,
🔨 Auction Lot
Modern & Contemporary Art
February 28, 2026
Estimate: $75,000 to $100,000
Sold: $83,850
Lot 37
Artists in conversation
Jacob Lawrence
American · b. 1917
Lawrence similarly elevated the dignity and humanity of working class Black Americans through bold figurative compositions, using flattened expressive forms to celebrate everyday labor with social commentary and psychological depth.
Charles White
American · b. 1918
White devoted his career to portraying Black American working people with monumental presence and quiet dignity, using elongated expressive figures to honor commonplace subjects and transform ordinary labor into powerful statements of humanity.
Barkley L. Hendricks
American · b. 1945
Hendricks celebrated the poise and individuality of everyday Black Americans through large scale figurative painting that combined celebratory realism with deep psychological presence, elevating ordinary people to subjects of monumental artistic attention.
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