The Masquerade
Inquire About This ArtworkContact the estate for current availability, pricing, condition, and provenance details.
Private collector and institutional inquiries are welcome.
About the Work
In The Masquerade, faces appear within a tightly organized field of overlapping forms and muted color. The title suggests concealment and performance, but Lewis leaves the figures’ identities open rather than explaining them.
Lewis translated the image into a color print, then returned to selected passages with oilstick. The additions interrupt the printed pattern and give the image a more personal surface.
This impression
The estate identifies this sheet as an artist’s proof; numbered impressions are described as color screenprints on Arches paper.
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: Hand-embellished serigraph
Date: 1994
Dimensions: 24 × 20 in.
Edition: Artist’s proof
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.