Rev. Owen Whitfield
This painting depicts Reverend Owen Whitfield along with scenes of the 1939 Missouri sharecroppers’ strike, when 1,000 evicted sharecroppers, both Black and white, staged a dramatic roadside demonstration along two highways in southeast Missouri. Born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, Robert Ketchens began his professional career as a medical illustrator in the military, honing his talents in Wiesbaden, Germany, where he gained formal training in easel painting. Ketchens relocated to the Midwest in 1985, where he established himself in the St. Louis art scene.
Object Title and Accession Number
Rev. Owen Whitfield. Oil painting by Robert Ketchens, 2012. 2021-077-0002.
A mix media portrait of a black man in a red tie is surrounded by vibrant colors and smaller sepia-toned photographs of people working in fields and a baptism scene.. The background is a blend of cosmic blue, purple, and yellow hues.
Close up view of lower right corner of the painting featuring a sepia-toned photo of a baptism in water, set against a vibrant blue background. The bottom has a signature in black ink, dated '12
Close up view of center right side of paiting with a collage featuring a black-and-white image of people working with machinery, contrasted with a small scene of people gathered by a blue body of water. The background is a blend of dark and light colors.
Close up view of top right corner of the portrait featuring a sepia-toned photo of people working in a field, and a young girl in a white dress standing in the foreground.