The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of March 14, 2025

Composition 28

1952
(American, 1917–1993)
America
gouache on illustration board
Image: 30.2 x 20.2 cm (11 7/8 x 7 15/16 in.); Sheet: 30.2 x 20.2 cm (11 7/8 x 7 15/16 in.)
Mr. and Mrs. Roger J. Lerch in Memory of Carl J. Lerch and Winifred J. Lerch Endowment 2021.13
Location: not on view

Did You Know?

Charles Elmer Harris later changed his name to Beni E. Kosh to acknowledge his African heritage and conversion to Islam.

Description

Charles Elmer Harris developed his own distinctive form of abstraction during the second half of the twentieth century. This drawing dates from time the artist spent working at Karamu House, an African American cultural center located in Cleveland’s Fairfax neighborhood. The work features a hybrid of rhythmic, angular forms, suggesting the influence of jazz music and African art on Harris. The artist had served in the Marines prior to his artistic career and became deeply passionate about his African heritage after being stationed in North Africa.
  • 1957-1993
    Studio of the artist [1917-1993], Cleveland, OH
    1993-2000
    (Rachel Davis Fine Arts, Cleveland, OH, sold to John Axelrod, Boston)
    2000-2011
    John Axelrod, Boston, given to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
    2011-2013
    Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA
    2013
    (sale, Swann Galleries, New York, February 14, 2013, no. 61, sold to Dolan/Maxwell, Philadelphia)
    2013-2021
    Dolan/Maxwell, Philadelphia, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
    2021-
    Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • {{cite web|title=Composition 28|url=false|author=Charles Elmer Harris|year=1952|access-date=14 March 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2021.13