Painted by Laura Wheeler Waring in 1927, Anna Washington Derry presents its sitter with quiet strength, dignity, and individuality. Waring's careful attention to expression and presence transforms the portrait into something deeply personal while preserving the image of a Black woman within the American fine art tradition.

The painting became an important work in Waring's career, earning recognition from the Harmon Foundation in 1927. Waring would become one of the leading Black portrait artists associated with the Harlem Renaissance, creating images that expanded how Black people were represented and remembered in American art.

Anna Washington Derry represents what made Waring's portraiture so important: Black life presented with beauty, humanity, and the understanding that our faces and stories are worthy of preservation.

Presented as a high quality reproduction on thick matte paper and finished in a .75 inch matte black wood frame with a protective Acrylite front. Lightweight and ready to hang with hardware included.

The Bloodline Art Gallery
Preserving Black art. Bringing our history home.