ONLINE ONE-OFF Karl Broodhagen Print AUCTION:

Karl Broodhagen reproduction print of painting. 'The Dominican Costume' is a profile portrait of a woman in traditional costume, (unconfirmed, thought possibly to be his wife)

History and journey of the 'The Dominican Costume' print. The print by the Bajan artist Karl Broodhagen, eminent sculptor who created the famous Bussa emancipation statue in Barbados was gifted to Vincent Gray, a British Sculptor.

Karl Broodhagen works have been displayed prominently in Barbados, United States, Canada and Europe.

The print: ‘The Dominican Costume’ with permission of Karl’s son, Virgil Broodhagen who is a painter in own right agreed the donation of the print to auction on this website of Black Lives Matter,

Virgil Broodhagen, son of Karl Broodhagen speaks about his father's work of the the 50th Broodhagen Exhibition

Unframed: Print. Measures: 48cm x 63.50cms - Click image to enlarge

 Online auction - Karl Broodhagen 

Interview Feb 5, 2015

Bajan Treasure, Artist Karl Broodhagen

Karl Broodhagen was a pioneering Barbadian artist who changed the face of international art in Barbados forever. Until the late 1950's Barbados was relatively closed to international art. However, thanks to Karl Broodhagen, and artists like him, the Barbados art scene started to open its doors to outside influences.

Born in Guyana in 1909, Broodhagen was in his teens when he came to Barbados with his mother. Broodhagen initially worked as a successful tailor, and this role initiated his deep understanding of the human form, which would later manifest itself in his work as a sculptor. Broodhagen started sculpting, painting and creating, focusing on individuals' characters. It is his realistic portrayal of each individual that makes his work so engaging.

He found his idea of beauty in people of colour, many of his models had braided hair, pouty lips and big eyes and these themes were often picked up through his work. But his art was equally about beauty beneath the surface. As writer and artist Christopher Cozier extrapolates, "Busts like those of social worker and philanthropist John Beckles or Dame Nita Barrow....were clearly about the power of the individual voice and the individual presence in the social space." Broodhagen's work dots the Barbadian landscape, but his most famous work forms a major landmark in Barbados. Nicknamed "Bussa" by Barbadians, the famous slave who inspired a revolt against slavery in Barbados in 1816, this statue towers in an attitude of sudden freedom. Officially named "Slave in Revolt", it was unveiled at St Barnabas, St Michael in 1985 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of slave emancipation in the British colonies. He has also sculpted busts of other famous Barbadians such as Dame Nita Barrow, Prince Cave and Sir Grantley Adams. Some have criticised the last as his head is seemingly disproportionately large and he's slightly stooped, but the artist simply said, that's how we knew him.

He was drawing the individual exactly how he was. Up until the 1970's and perhaps beyond, the status of an artist in Barbados was constantly fluctuating; it was surrounded by an atmosphere of anxiety on the artist's part. On the one hand they were national heroes because they often had political and social messages behind their art, it often contained narratives of heritage and the island, and they become known overseas. On the other they were in constant fear of foreign influences and being seen as primitive by the outside world. They were frightened for their reputations.

The decades during the middle of the twentieth century were a time of big change and uncertainty. All this was irrelevant to Broodhagen. Born in 1909, he had seen so much and had such strength of character that it passed him by as a storm out to sea. But this artist had seen many storms. His political and social influences originated from a time before Barbados attained full national self-awareness. He was working in a time recovering from slavery, colonial and class discrimination, a time when personal individuality had been fought for and in name won, but the transition was very gradual. This environment simply encouraged him in his quest for personal individualism. Karl Broodhagen stands out not only as a talented sculptor and artist, but also as a champion for the individual. He was an important leader and teacher.

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