Sound of Silence
1978
Created during the final years of his career, this drawing exemplifies White's lifelong commitment to portraying the dignity and strength of African American subjects through his distinctive realistic style.
- Medium
- Graphite on tan wove paper
- Dimensions
- Location
- Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Spotted works by Charles White
Artists in conversation
Kadir Nelson
American · b. 1974
Nelson shares White's profound dedication to portraying African American dignity and strength through highly detailed realistic draftsmanship, often working with graphite and charcoal to achieve deeply expressive figurative studies that honor Black humanity with the same reverence found in Sound of Silence.
Elizabeth Catlett
American/Mexican · b. 1915
A close contemporary and collaborator of Charles White, Catlett shared his unwavering commitment to depicting African American subjects with dignity and strength through precise realistic technique on paper, producing figurative works with the same socially conscious and humanistic spirit visible in this drawing.
Reginald Gammon
American · b. 1921
Gammon was deeply aligned with White's mission of celebrating African American identity through skilled figurative realism, creating works on paper that captured the quiet power and inner resilience of Black subjects with comparable tonal sensitivity and draftsmanship.
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