The Fantastic Turban

Frank Mason, a painter trained in the classical style, primarily created portraits, landscapes, and depictions of religious figures in the European Renaissance tradition. Here the artist portrays a Black man reading, a nod to a literate African past that contrasts with reading being an illegal act for enslaved African Americans. With this painting, Mason asks contemporary viewers to revisit preconceptions around race, intellect, and literacy. Maurice Hunter, one of the most sought-after Harlem Renaissance models, sat for this portrait.