Charles Alston Sites

Harlem Hospital murals include two 1940 pieces by Charles Alston, "Magic in Medicine" and "Modern Medicine", painted under the auspices of the Federal Arts Project of the WPA in 1936.  As the New York Times notes, "Harlem Hospital’s were perhaps the first major federal government commissions awarded to African-Americans." "Charles Alston's Magic in Medicine is situated opposite his Modern Medicine, offering contrast and dialogue between traditional and modern healing practices. The diptych imagines the history of healing and medicine in Africa and the United States. The sepia-toned Magic in Medicine incorporates a Fang reliquary sculpture, a type of ritual art piece from Gabon that was widely collected by...