You Can Jail a Revolutionary, But You Can’t Jail a Revolution

1969–1970

Emory Douglas

Associated Names
Emory Douglas

Artist, American, born 1943

This is a poster of a person speaking passionately. The image features a large, stylized portrait of the person speaking, with their mouth open. In the lower right corner, there is a smaller full-body depiction of the same person at a microphone, raising their arm. The background is dark with blue rays radiating outward from the central portrait. Surrounding the large portrait are text and graphic elements conveying political messages, emphasizing themes of revolution and struggle. The text includes a quote about jailing revolutionaries and information about Fred Hampton. The overall style is bold and graphic, characteristic of protest or political art from the 20th century.
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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    photo lithograph

  • Credit Line

    Alfred H. Moses and Fern M. Schad Fund

  • Dimensions

    image: 54.6 × 41.9 cm (21 1/2 × 16 1/2 in.)
    sheet: 58.4 × 44.4 cm (23 × 17 1/2 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2022.109.1


Artwork history & notes

Provenance

(sale, Swann Auction Galleries, New York, 24 March 2022, lot 130); (Deborah Bell Photographs, New York); NGA purchase, 2022.

Associated Names

Inscriptions

stamped in black ink, lower right below image: PHONE NO. / 312 / 243-8276 / 738-0778 [image of a panther] BLACK PANTHER PARTY / 2350 W. MADISON ST. / CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60612