Robert Franklin

Franklin, Bob

American, born 1930

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This is a painting of a collage with various mixed media elements. The work involves an intricate layering of images and text. Dominating the center is a photograph of children sitting, holding flags. Around this image, there are additional visual elements; these include photographic inserts such as a sepia-toned portrait, an eagle drawing, and a textured tree trunk image. All these are juxtaposed against a vibrant backdrop featuring repeated heart shapes adorned with crosses, enveloped in warm hues of red and orange. A border of blue, textured with handwritten text in Spanish, frames the central imagery. The layered composition and vibrant color palette may convey themes of heritage, patriotism, and sacrifice.
Juan Sánchez, Robert Franklin, Brandywine Workshop and Archives, Prayer and Struggle, 1990, color offset lithograph and screenprint on wove Arches paper, Gift of Funds from the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation, 2023.22.47

Prayer and Struggle

Juan Sánchez, Robert Franklin, Brandywine Workshop and Archives · 1990 · color offset lithograph and screenprint on wove Arches paper ·  Accession ID  2023.22.47

The image shows elongated shapes drifting above a landscape. Below, a figure with cascading hair stands in a red earthy terrain surrounded by tall grass and scattered bushes.
Michael Platt, Robert Franklin, Brandywine Workshop and Archives, Five Canoes, 2012, color offset lithograph and inkjet on laid paper, Gift of Funds from the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation, 2023.22.42

Five Canoes

Michael Platt, Robert Franklin, Brandywine Workshop and Archives · 2012 · color offset lithograph and inkjet on laid paper ·  Accession ID  2023.22.42

The image shows a person on a wooden raft on a river with a waterfall in the distance. The scene is vibrant with varied brushstrokes creating movement and texture in the water and vegetation. The color palette includes greens, blues, yellows, and browns. Large leaves and plants surround the raft, and cliffs line the narrowing river toward the waterfall.
Keith Morrison, Robert Franklin, Brandywine Workshop and Archives, Heat, 2011, color offset lithograph on wove paper, Gift of Funds from the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation, 2023.22.36

Heat

Keith Morrison, Robert Franklin, Brandywine Workshop and Archives · 2011 · color offset lithograph on wove paper ·  Accession ID  2023.22.36

The image shows a black and white drawing of two individuals depicted from the knees up standing and facing each other. Their faces are stylized with minimal detail and their hair is uniquely illustrated with distinct patterns. The person on the left has a large, rounded hair shape with linear and circular elements, while the person on the right has textured hair blending into a garment or headpiece resembling fur. Both are dressed in dark, sleeveless garments with fur-like collars. One stands in a dish, the other on a similarly shaped object. The background is a minimal landscape with distant hills or mountains and scattered vertical line-like features. The composition emphasizes pattern work and contrast between the figures and background.
Pamela Phatsimo Sunstrum, Robert Franklin, Brandywine Workshop and Archives, Me as Me, 2010, published 2011, offset lithograph on four sheets of wove paper, Gift of Funds from the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation, 2023.22.50.a-d

Me as Me

Pamela Phatsimo Sunstrum, Robert Franklin, Brandywine Workshop and Archives · 2010, published 2011 · offset lithograph on four sheets of wove paper ·  Accession ID  2023.22.50.a-d

The image displays irregular, flowing shapes in vibrant greens, blues, and pinks. Among these colors is the silhouette of a person that appears to be wearing a hat. The abstract patterns and colors suggest fluidity, resembling water or clouds and enveloping the figure.
Maya Freelon, Robert Franklin, Allan Edmunds, Brandywine Workshop and Archives, Look Down on War, 2009, color offset lithograph on wove Tumbra Grafik paper, Gift of Funds from the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation, 2023.22.14

Look Down on War

Maya Freelon, Robert Franklin, Allan Edmunds, Brandywine Workshop and Archives · 2009 · color offset lithograph on wove Tumbra Grafik paper ·  Accession ID  2023.22.14

The image shows a complex arrangement of lines and shapes with jagged edges and curves forming a dense collage. It has an abstract quality, resembling a dreamlike tapestry where various elements merge and overlap. A human silhouette is at the center, surrounded by linear rays suggesting a crown or halo effect. Hands with elongated fingers are depicted nearby, and above them is a textured pattern reminiscent of crocodile skin or scales. Toward the top, there is a moon-like face and eyes. The background features a red and green gradient, providing a vivid contrast to the outlined forms, such as stair-like stripes and plant motifs.
Danny Alvarez, Robert Franklin, Brandywine Workshop and Archives, Untitled (Color), 2006, color woodcut and offset lithograph on wove paper, Gift of Funds from the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation, 2023.22.2

Untitled (Color)

Danny Alvarez, Robert Franklin, Brandywine Workshop and Archives · 2006 · color woodcut and offset lithograph on wove paper ·  Accession ID  2023.22.2

The image displays silhouetted hand shapes reaching in different directions across the canvas. Various elements are incorporated, such as a bust, maps, an ocean wave, and pairs of eyes. Assorted colors and overlays create an intricate collage.
Howardena Pindell, Robert Franklin, Brandywine Workshop and Archives, Autobiography: Past & Present II, 2005, color offset lithograph on two sheets of wove Somerset paper, Gift of Funds from the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation, 2023.22.41.a-b

Autobiography: Past & Present II

Howardena Pindell, Robert Franklin, Brandywine Workshop and Archives · 2005 · color offset lithograph on two sheets of wove Somerset paper ·  Accession ID  2023.22.41.a-b

The image shows a person sitting on a bench. They have short, textured hair and large, expressive eyes. They are wearing a bright pink top with short sleeves, holding an open book in their hands. The background is a textured grayish-white wood grain pattern. The person's expression is neutral, and the setting is simple and focused on the individual.
Samella Lewis, Robert Franklin, Brandywine Workshop and Archives, Boy on a Bench, 2005, color offset lithograph on wove Somerset paper, Gift of Funds from the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation, 2023.22.27

Boy on a Bench

Samella Lewis, Robert Franklin, Brandywine Workshop and Archives · 2005 · color offset lithograph on wove Somerset paper ·  Accession ID  2023.22.27

A human face surrounded by bold black lines and shapes is at the center of the image. Thick arcs and rings encircle the face, with a symbol on the forehead. Below the head, a long, tapering body with a textured effect extends downward. An outline of a boat, simple yet detailed, is included below the body. Two identical square graphics resembling arrows or architectural symbols are at the bottom corners of the image.
Arturo Lindsay, Robert Franklin, Brandywine Workshop and Archives, Ile of Ile Ife from Children of the Middle Passage, 2001, one from a series of ten offset lithographs on wove Somerset paper, Gift of Funds from the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation, 2023.22.29.2

Ile of Ile Ife from Children of the Middle Passage

Arturo Lindsay, Robert Franklin, Brandywine Workshop and Archives · 2001 · one from a series of ten offset lithographs on wove Somerset paper ·  Accession ID  2023.22.29.2

The image shows the upper body of a person facing forward. The individual has a stylized facial expression, with a round face, wide nose, full lips, and short, curly hair. They are wearing a dark garment with a large crescent moon symbol on the chest. The body dissolves into a black mass with small dots and transitions into an outline of ship sails at the bottom. Above the person's head is a circular halo-like design and an abstract face with an arch-shaped border. The image is monochromatic, using black and white for contrast, with a plain white background.
Arturo Lindsay, Robert Franklin, Brandywine Workshop and Archives, Iyabo of Wamba from Children of the Middle Passage, 2001, one from a series of ten offset lithographs on wove Somerset paper, Gift of Funds from the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation, 2023.22.29.3

Iyabo of Wamba from Children of the Middle Passage

Arturo Lindsay, Robert Franklin, Brandywine Workshop and Archives · 2001 · one from a series of ten offset lithographs on wove Somerset paper ·  Accession ID  2023.22.29.3