The Farmer
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About the Work
The Farmer uses an unusually tall format to make a solitary working figure the vertical axis of the image. Lewis strips away anecdotal detail and allows scale, stance, and the surrounding field of color to carry the subject. The figure is not absorbed into a panoramic rural scene; the body occupies the picture with the force of a monument.
That decision separates the work from sentimental images of agricultural labor. Lewis does not provide a picturesque landscape or a complete narrative. She gives sustained attention to the person whose work structures the scene.
Production history
Documented impressions were printed by Wasserman Silkscreen Company in Santa Monica and bear the printer’s blind stamp. Auction records identify the image area as approximately 36 1/8 × 18 inches within the larger sheet, confirming how deliberately the long vertical format was used.
Print and edition notes
This 2006 serigraph was issued in an edition of 60. Separate layers of screenprinted color create the broad fields and sharp contours that give the figure its weight at nearly one meter in height.
About the Artist
Dr. Samella Lewis (1923–2022) was an artist, scholar, educator, curator, and publisher whose work helped reshape the study and presentation of African American art. Her studio practice and her institution-building shared a commitment to preserving artists’ histories and expanding the audiences able to encounter them.
Artwork Details
Artist: Dr. Samella Lewis
Medium: Serigraph
Date: 2006
Dimensions: 40 × 22 in.
Edition: 60
Presentation: Unframed
Estate & Availability
This work is offered directly by the Samella Lewis Estate. Availability reflects the estate’s current holdings and may change as works enter private and institutional collections.
Shipping & Care
Each work is individually inspected and securely packaged before shipment. Shipping arrangements, insurance, and any condition-specific handling are confirmed before fulfillment.