A powerful look at this important African American artist whose bold color, luminous style, and vision helped shape modern art, published to accompany a major traveling exhibition.

This in-depth look at the life, artistry, and enduring influence of Delaney (1901–1979) spans his career, bringing together works from his early modernist cityscapes during the Harlem Renaissance to his radiant abstractions and evocative portraits of his Paris years. 

The book explores Delaney’s deep engagement with color, light, and abstraction, as well as the creative networks that shaped his work, including his friendship with James Baldwin. It also highlights his dialogue with artists across generations and continents, including influences such as Claude Monet and Vincent van Gogh, alongside contemporaries like Arthur Dove and Sam Francis—positioning Delaney as a vital bridge between American and European modernism. 

With essays, historical photographs, and archival material, the book situates Delaney’s work within broader artistic movements while celebrating his humanist vision and lasting cultural impact. This is the most comprehensive book on Delaney in print—an essential record of a groundbreaking artist whose work continues to resonate.

About The Author

Richard J. Powell is Distinguished John Spencer Bassett Professor of Art and Art History, Duke University. Adrienne L. Childs is Senior Consulting Curator, The Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C. Mary Campbell is Associate Professor, American Art History, University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Levi Prombaum is Postdoctoral Art History Fellow at Hebrew University. James Smalls is Professor, Art History and Museum Studies, University of Maryland, Baltimore County.