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Romare Bearden — Early Carolina Morning
Romare Bearden

Early Carolina Morning

1979

This vibrant watercolor composition depicts a lush wetland landscape bathed in warm morning light. The work features a layered composition with aquatic vegetation, including cattails and water plants in the foreground, a winding waterway bordered by trees and foliage in the middle ground, and a luminous sky with soft, organic cloud forms above. The artist employs a rich palette of greens, blues, and earth tones to capture the atmospheric qualities of a Carolina lowland environment. Human and animal figures are integrated throughout the scene, suggesting activity and habitation within this natural setting. The composition demonstrates masterful use of collage and mixed media techniques characteristic of the artist's distinctive visual language.

Medium
watercolor, pen and pencil on paper laid down on board
Overall

Notes

Contemporary Day Auction, Sotheby's, sale on 2026-05-15.

🔨 Auction Lot

Contemporary Day Auction

May 15, 2026

Estimate: $300,000$500,000

For Sale

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About this work

Romare Bearden, Early Carolina Morning, 1979

This vibrant watercolor composition depicts a lush wetland landscape bathed in warm morning light. The work features a layered composition with aquatic vegetation, including cattails and water plants in the foreground, a winding waterway bordered by trees and foliage in the middle ground, and a luminous sky with soft, organic cloud forms above. The artist employs a rich palette of greens, blues, and earth tones to capture the atmospheric qualities of a Carolina lowland environment. Human and animal figures are integrated throughout the scene, suggesting activity and habitation within this natural setting. The composition demonstrates masterful use of collage and mixed media techniques characteristic of the artist's distinctive visual language.

Medium
watercolor, pen and pencil on paper laid down on board
Dimensions
overall: 40.6 x 60.6 cm
Year
1979
Seen at
Sotheby's, New York, London, Hong Kong, Paris

Related themes

Pastoral Setting, Morning Light, Regional Imagery, Contemplative Mood, Watercolor Landscape, Atmospheric Color, Mixed Media, Ecological Subject, American South, Contemporary Naturalism, Collage Technique, Nature Composition, Verdant Foliage, Luminous Sky, Environmental Art, Coastal Environment, Botanical Study, Figurative Landscape, Water Landscape, Wetland Scene

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