Eldzier Cortor

Southern Souvenir No. II

Cortor is known for his celebratory depictions of the Black female body. However, Southern Souvenir No. II, takes a drastic turn, showing a darker representation of Black American life in the 1940s.

The “souvenir” referenced in the title of this work recalls the horrifying practice of lynching in the American South, where body parts of Black victims were often taken and regarded as trophies. The disembodied figures are not only torn apart physically but also stripped of their identities, calling attention to the racial issues of this period. The newspapers seen at the center of the painting depict states infamous for this practice.

Symbols of decline including torn wallpaper, a decaying tree, and a crumbling plaster facade, further evoke the dismal existence of Southern Black Americans during this time.