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Romare Bearden, Blue Snake, 1971
collage of printed papers with paint, ink, graphite, and surface abrasion on fiberboard
gift of Priscilla T. Grace, 2003
Philadelphia Museum of Art
© Romare Bearden Foundation/Licensed by VAGA, New York, N.Y.

This is one of Bearden's earliest images in which the landscape is the primary motif. The snake of the title, however, carries diverse symbolic meaning, based in the myth, religion, and literature of the many cultures that were of paramount importance to Bearden's art.

Copyright © National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.