Beauford Delaney 1901-1979Joseph Delaney 1904-1991

Beauford Delaney 1901-1979: Beauford Delaney is considered one of the greatest abstract painters of the 20th century. Battling poverty, racial prejudice and mental illness, he achieved acclaim for his expressive portraits, cityscapes and abstractions. An African American artist, Beauford was one of 10 children born to the Rev. John Samuel and Delia Elizabeth Johnson Delaney at 815 East Vine Avenue near this site. He spent most of his life in New York City and Paris, France, forming lifelong friendships with writers James Baldwin, Henry Miller, and other luminaries. Beauford Delaney is buried in Cimetiere Parisien de Thiais. Joseph Delaney 1904-1991: Born near this site, Joseph Delaney, an African American artist, like his older brother Beauford, studied under local artist Lloyd Branson. In 1930, Joseph began his studies in New York at the Art Students League. He spent the next 56 years painting portraits and scenes of urban life in lower Manhattan. In 1986, he returned to Knoxville and served as artist-in-residence at the University of Tennessee until his death in 1991. His works are in the collection of the Smithsonian American Art Museum and other major museums. Joseph Delaney is buried in Knoxville's Greenwood Cemetery.