Prelude to Farewell (1981), Romare Bearden
Rank: 92
Bearden’s collages blend elements of Dadaist photomontage with the planes of Cubism, iconography from Southern American folk art and African traditions, not to mention the energy of jazz and city life. A cultural commenter as well as an artist, he created a new, symbol-laden language for depicting black life in 20th-century America.—Heather Corcoran
Photograph: Gift of Altria Group; Inc./Studio Museum
