Rhodes College Digital Archives - DLynx
Recent Submissions
Item Le Beau Mec(Memphis, Tenn. : Art Department, Rhodes College, 2024)This painting, created by Tennessee Williams in 1980 using acrylic and pencil, features a nude, blond-haired, blue-eyed boy seated at the center of the composition in profile, his head turned toward the viewer, capturing a moment of introspection. Surrounding the figure, vibrant yellow, blue, and pink brushstrokes within the frame of a white square create a sense of movement and vibrancy, while a thick black border frames the entire scene, intensifying the contrast between figure and space. Along the right side of the composition, the "Le Beau Mec" (The Handsome Guy) is painted in orange, adding a playful yet mysterious air to the portrait. Signed"T.W." in the top right corner, the back of the painting includes a note reading"Tennessee Williams / 'Le Beau Mec' / (acrylic) / 1980." Additionally, a paper tag attached to the hanging wire reads"TL4.1994.1 / Kenneth Holditch,"Item Untitled(Memphis, Tenn. : Art Department, Rhodes College, 2024)This oil painting by Tennessee Williams features a central yellow nude male figure, standing with raised hands and closed eyes. Two distinct horizontal yellow lines cross the figure's body"one across his torso and the other, longer line, just above his hips. These perhaps represent an object or window that the figure protrudes from. Surrounding the figure, brown and green foliage frames the scene, evoking a natural, almost meditative atmosphere. The painting is signed"T.W." in green paint in the bottom right corner. On the back, a handwritten note in French reads,"" Robert / Un souvenir de la [illegible] / de / Tennessee," which translates to"to Robert / A souvenir of the [illegible] / of / Tennessee," hinting at a personal dedication.Item Untitled(Memphis, Tenn. : Art Department, Rhodes College, 2024)This piece was painted by Tennessee Williams in 1977 using oil paint and pencil. A blond, nude figure with closed eyes reclines peacefully on his back, arms resting behind his head. The figure lies on vivid green grass beside a tranquil blue body of water. At the foot of the figure, green and pink foliage adds vibrancy to the scene, while two red flowers bloom in the bottom right corner. Metallic lettering beneath the figure spells out"A I OUS N REPOSE," though some of the letters have fallen off, leaving the phrase incomplete and mysterious. Signed"T.W." in the bottom right corner, the back of the painting contains a note in the top right corner that reads"[illegible], 1977 / Tennessee Williams / Key West." Additionally, a white sticker in the top left corner bears the numbers"4312 / 100/2," and an empty tag is attached to the hanging wire.Item Les Etoiles d'un Cirque Etrange(Memphis, Tenn. : Art Department, Rhodes College, 2024)This dynamic and surreal piece by Tennessee Williams features two yellow figures set against a bold red background. The piece was made using oil paint and pencil. On the left, the upper body of one figure hangs upside down, creating an unsettling and disorienting effect. To the right, a nude yellow figure with its back to the viewer dominates the composition, their limbs stretched across the canvas from the lower left to the upper right. Radiating from the figures head and limbs are bursts of yellow and orange gestural brushstrokes, adding an energetic sense of motion. Below the central figure, the French title "Les Etoiles d'un Cirque etrange (The Stars of a Strange Circus) hints at the bizarre and otherworldly nature of the scene. The painting is signed"T.W." in the bottom right corner. On the back, Williams" signature appears in red, alongside a"Pyramid" tag marking the piece as Lot No. 108C, Piece 3. A paper tag attached to the hanging wire reads"TL6.1994.1 / Robert Hines - Jack Fricks," further linking the work to its provenance.Item Assignment #5: Obstructions(Memphis, Tenn. : Art Department, Rhodes College, 2024)This painting is by Taylor Jackson, who graduated from Rhodes College in 2015. Her artist statement reads: "I rummage through a treasure trove of memories and personal observations to create imagery that is critical of the heavily ingrained politics of skin color, beauty, and womanhood. My work questions the validity of dangerous 'beautifying' rituals such as skin lightening. The work has a crude and visceral appearance. The progression of time is a major component of my work, as it shows the devastating consequences of continued reliance on these rituals. I want to demonstrate stages of the destruction of natural beauty."
Communities in DLynx
Select a community to browse its collections.