Ellis Wilson - Funeral Procession , c. 1950
oil on Masonite , 30 1/2 by 29 1/4 inches
Thursdays are dedicated to honoring artists who have passed away but whose contributions to the art world remain significant. Their impact should never be forgotten.
Funeral Procession is the name of a painting by Ellis Wilson, which went from obscurity to notoriety in 1986, when it was featured heavily in the episode "The Auction" of the TV series The Cosby Show's second season. In the episode, Clair Huxtable states that Wilson was her great-uncle, and that her grandmother had owned the painting until she had to sell it in order to pay her medical bills. After discovering that it is being sold at auction, she places an $11,000 winning bid and her husband Cliff hangs it over the fireplace in the family living room, where it stays for the remainder of the eight-season series. -
In reality, Wilson"s art typically sold for much less and was not widely recognized. But he still made a name for himself in the art community by exhibiting his work throughout the time of the Harlem Renaissance and beyond. - news.tulane.edu
Personal thoughts: I have a print of Funeral Procession hanging in my bedroom. Also, the episode the art is featured in is one I rewatch often, followed by Vanessa having biggggggggg fun in Baltimore lol
Yes! A few years back, I wrote about my mom having this painting framed in our living room and learning how many other Black people had this painting too: https://medium.com/writing-boys/whats-with-all-the-black-santas-b6092ceb124b?sk=7d5c165f54a917b80e9bd5e0aba439f8
This is one of my favorite prints!