Palmer Hayden
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Palmer C. Hayden (born Peyton Cole Hedgeman; January 15, 1890 – February 18, 1973) was an American
painter Painting is a Visual arts, visual art, which is characterized by the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called "matrix" or "Support (art), support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with ...
who depicted
African-American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...
life,
landscape A landscape is the visible features of an area of land, its landforms, and how they integrate with natural or human-made features, often considered in terms of their aesthetic appeal.''New Oxford American Dictionary''. A landscape includes th ...
s,
seascape A seascape is a photograph, painting, or other work of art which depicts the sea, in other words an example of marine art. The word originated as a formation from landscape, which was first used for images of land in art. By a similar de ...
s, and
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n influences. He sketched, painted in both
oils An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) and lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturat ...
and watercolors, and was a prolific artist of his era.


Early life

Originally named Peyton Cole Hedgeman, Hayden was born on January 15, 1890, in Wide water, Virginia. Hayden was introduced to the arts by his older brother who took up drawing at an early age. Despite his early interest in art, Hayden had ambitions to become a
fiddle A fiddle is a Bow (music), bowed String instrument, string musical instrument, most often a violin or a bass. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including European classical music, classical music. Althou ...
player. Unfortunately, several obstacles prevented this, including his reserved nature and financial instability in his family. Despite his great success as an artist, Hayden would later come to regret his decision to abandon his initial dream. Bitter frustration lingered in Hayden's mind as is reflected in some of his work. ''Midnight at the Crossroads'' is a painting that depicts the decision he was forced to make. While the notable tilt of his feet and face illustrate his inclination towards the path of the musician, he ultimately chooses the other road. This piece demonstrates the personal significance of Hayden's conflict. Hayden moved to
Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
during his teenage years in order to find work to make a living. He worked as a carrier and an errand boy while finding inspiration for his work from the everyday bustle of the city. It was in Washington, D.C. where Hayden ultimately began to pursue an art career, and where he first encountered an experience with explicit
racism Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one Race (human categorization), race or ethnicity over another. It may also me ...
. Hayden had placed an ad in the local paper for an artist's assistant, and was bewildered when he was rejected for being African-American upon arriving at the interview. Discouraged, Hayden decided to go into employment as a laborer for the Buffalo Bill Circus and then the Ringling Brothers Circus. He bounced from occupation to occupation with little commitment, then decided to enter the
army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...
's black company stationed in the
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. Hayden enlisted into the military in 1912. While enrolled, he found himself pleased with the amount of spare time he had and even found a tutor in second lieutenant Arthur Boetscher, who enjoyed map drawing and would often loosely instruct Hayden. This was Hayden's first true experience with artistic education. After four years of service in the military, Hayden decided to re-enlist. He was assigned to the 10th Cavalry at
West Point The United States Military Academy (USMA), commonly known as West Point, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York that educates cadets for service as Officer_(armed_forces)#United_States, comm ...
where his role was taking care and training the horses that the cadets learned to ride on. At this time, he also enrolled into a correspondence drawing course, on which he spent $10 of the $18 he made monthly. After he was discharged from the army, he relocated to
Greenwich Village Greenwich Village, or simply the Village, is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street (Manhattan), 14th Street to the north, Broadway (Manhattan), Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the s ...
, a neighborhood located in lower
Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...
within
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. During the pursuit of his developing art career, he worked as a postal clerk,
janitor A cleaner, cleanser or cleaning operative is a type of Industry (economics), industrial or domestic worker who is tasked with cleaning a space. A janitor (Scotland, United States and Canada), also known as a custodian, Facility Operator, porter ...
, and a variety of other part-time jobs in order to provide for himself. This period of his life was difficult, but was nevertheless worthwhile as Hayden became a prolific
Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater ...
artist of his era.


Artistic beginnings and Parisian travels

Hayden pursued artistic professionalism by studying charcoal drawing at
Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...
as he simultaneously worked nights at the post office. When Hayden decided his post office job took up too much of his time, he quit and began janitorial services in various apartment buildings throughout New York City. Coincidentally, the first tenant he worked for was Victor Perard, an artist and art instructor at the
Cooper Union The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, commonly known as Cooper Union, is a private college on Cooper Square in Lower Manhattan, New York City. Peter Cooper founded the institution in 1859 after learning about the government-s ...
, previously called the Cooper Institute. Hayden was hired to clean Perard's studio and was encouraged to continue to develop his art. In 1925, Hayden had an opportunity to study under Perard at the Cooper Union in New York City. In the same year, he traveled to Maine to study at Boothbay art colony. A chance encounter with Alice Dike, a woman for whom he was moving furniture, led to the discussion of art and his experience as an artist. Compelled by his cause, Dike provided him with a brochure from her church broadcasting The Harmon Foundation's '' Award for Distinguished Achievement'', which encouraged individuals to participate and enter their pieces. Hayden decided to enter and in 1926, he won a sum of money and a gold medal for his painting ''Schooners'' after being recognized as the recipient of the ''Distinguished Achievement in Visual Arts'' in the Harmon Foundation's first awards ceremony. In response to this honor, a ''
New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' headline crudely glorified him, stating "Negro Worker Wins Harmon Art Prizes: Gold Medal and $400 Awarded to Man who Washes Windows to Have Time to Paint", suggesting his employment and race were defining factors of his craft as opposed to his extensive efforts. While racially involved themes were not quite yet prominent concepts in Hayden's work, The Harmon Foundation's white founder William E. Harmon was nonetheless making a blatant social statement by publicly praising art created by an African-American man from a struggling background. The award is additionally credited for launching his career as an artist because of how prestigious of an accomplishment it was seen for anyone, but especially for a simple janitor. Hayden's success with The Harmon Foundation resulted in his premier solo show in April 1926 at the Civic Club. Following his achievements, Hayden combined accumulated funds, as well as his trophy money from The Harmon Foundation and a gracious gift of $3,000 from Dike, to travel to
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
, France for five years, where he found further inspiration for his art. He did not enroll in art school there but rather learned from experience. Hayden captured not onl
Parisian
society, but also the integration of Afro-European into the upscale environment. He was mentored for a short while by an artist named Clivette Le Fevre, but ultimately, the relationship ended because of Le Fevre's disbelief in Hayden's talents. Hayden's years in Paris, as well as his arguably primitive style, is particularly evident in the 1930 piece ''Nous Quatre a Paris'', which portrays four black men in a cafe, drawn with stereotypically large lips and cartoonish facial features to emphasize characteristically black features that were shunned and often seen as revolting, as a result of the discourse from white beauty. While in France, Hayden did not remain stationed in Paris and also traveled to the coasts in order to continue painting landscapes and seascapes. He was particularly fond of
Concarneau Concarneau (, meaning "Bay of Cornouaille") is a Communes of France, commune in the Finistère Departments of France, department of Brittany (administrative region), Brittany in Northwestern France. Concarneau is bordered to the west by the Baie ...
, a small village primarily sustained by fishermen, and painted several scenes of the town, one of which being ''Andrée de la Mer''. He also visited several museums and a variety of exhibits, such as the
Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arron ...
, and found inspiration within its walls. Hayden became acquainted with
philosopher Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...
Alain Locke Alain LeRoy Locke (September 13, 1885 – June 9, 1954) was an American writer, philosopher, and educator. Distinguished in 1907 as the first African American Rhodes Scholar, Locke became known as the philosophical architect—the acknowledged " ...
, who showed him
African art African art encompasses modern and historical paintings, sculptures, installations, and other visual cultures originating from indigenous African diaspora, African communities across the African continent. The definition may also include the ar ...
he had collected from his extensive travels. Hayden's admiration for African art led him to paintings depicting African designs, patterns, and forms, such as ''Fetiche et Fleurs'' in 1933. He was also fascinated by the establishment of colonial Northern African towns and sketched what he saw in museums and exhibits.


Return, racial commentary and stylistics

After five years abroad, traveling with funds borrowed from the American Aid Society of Paris, a non-profit organization meant to support Americans abroad, Hayden decided to return to the United States on August 11, 1932. He remained in New York City, where he had lived before going abroad, and upon his return, he became a
Works Progress Administration The Works Progress Administration (WPA; from 1935 to 1939, then known as the Work Projects Administration from 1939 to 1943) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to car ...
artist with an impressive salary of about $30 weekly. In contrast to his active involvement with African culture and racism abroad, Hayden painted mostly buildings and landscapes at this time. In his free time, he continued with oil and watercolor paintings, but also dabbled in pen and ink drawings. His artwork is most notable for depicting African-American life during the Harlem Renaissance, as well as racial conflicts/obstacles, perceptions of racism, and African folklore. His paintings have been described by some critics as primitive and demeaning for depicting
xenophobic Xenophobia (from (), 'strange, foreign, or alien', and (), 'fear') is the fear or dislike of anything that is perceived as being foreign or strange. It is an expression that is based on the perception that a conflict exists between an in-gr ...
stereotypes of African Americans Stereotypes of African Americans are misleading beliefs about the African-American culture, culture of people with partial or total ancestry from any Black people, black racial groups of Africa whose ancestors resided in the United States sin ...
by exaggerating bosoms, lips, and nostrils and portraying the mass consumption of
watermelon The watermelon (''Citrullus lanatus'') is a species of flowering plant in the family Cucurbitaceae, that has a large, edible fruit. It is a Glossary of botanical terms#scandent, scrambling and trailing vine-like plant, and is plant breeding ...
and other foods associated with black racism, such as in ''The Watermelon Race''. Other art historians find some of the earliest indications of black
empowerment Empowerment is the degree of autonomy and self-determination in people and in communities. This enables them to represent their interests in a responsible and self-determined way, acting on their own authority. It is the process of becoming strong ...
in Hayden's work for his ownership and embracement of defining stereotypes that he regurgitated at critics through their exaggerated impact. A great number of his paintings following his years in Paris were associated with the Harlem Renaissance and black urban life in the city. However, while depictions of African-American life are what he is most remembered for, they are not his sole claim to fame; Hayden's career began with
landscape A landscape is the visible features of an area of land, its landforms, and how they integrate with natural or human-made features, often considered in terms of their aesthetic appeal.''New Oxford American Dictionary''. A landscape includes th ...
portrayal and this continued simultaneously alongside his racially influenced art, with nature originally more prominent than the depictions of African-American life. A particular interest of his was
seascape A seascape is a photograph, painting, or other work of art which depicts the sea, in other words an example of marine art. The word originated as a formation from landscape, which was first used for images of land in art. By a similar de ...
s and life in bustling harbors, as it had been in his
adolescence Adolescence () is a transitional stage of human Developmental biology, physical and psychological Human development (biology), development that generally occurs during the period from puberty to adulthood (typically corresponding to the age o ...
. These particular scenes often held a religious significance for him, which was not further elaborated on by Hayden. Additionally, as his comfort within the artistic community grew, he offered a political voice in his paintings, and in 1935, he depicted ''The Execution of NIRA'', which referenced the Supreme Court's refusal of the
National Industrial Recovery Act The National Industrial Recovery Act of 1933 (NIRA) was a US labor law and consumer law passed by the 73rd US Congress to authorize the president to regulate industry for fair wages and prices that would stimulate economic recovery. It als ...
on the grounds of
unconstitutionality In constitutional law, constitutionality is said to be the condition of acting in accordance with an applicable constitution; "Webster On Line" the status of a law, a procedure, or an act's accordance with the laws or set forth in the applica ...
. Hayden branching out artistically became more evident as his work became more outspoken and experimental. One of Hayden's most notable works is ''The Janitor Who Paints'' (1937). This painting, labeled a protest painting à la ''The Execution of NIRA'', was thought by critics to be a personal commentary on Hayden's sentiments regarding the assorted, meagerly paid early jobs he had to take in order to survive that he was criticized for in the press. Despite his success and popularity not only in America, but also in Europe, Hayden was still regarded by some as a lowly janitor who had little to no artistic training and worth. In this painting, an African-American woman, man, and child are depicted in a crowded area which is made even more stifled by a canvas, cleaning supplies, and simple home decoration. All three are shown with thick, prominent lips, characteristic of caricatures of African people, and in the first draft, a bold portrait of
Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...
was hung on the wall. The title of the painting, as well as the contrast of cleaning supplies and art material, imply a balance, such as the one that existed in Hayden's own life before he was recognized for his work. Inevitably, Hayden was scrutinized by both the black and white community as problematic for seemingly endorsing negative stereotypes in this painting as well.


The aged Hayden

Ten years after his initial visit in 1926, Hayden returned to Paris briefly; little else is known about this visit. He was back in New York within a year and at the age of 50, he married Miriam Huffman. He decided in 1944 to begin a new project, which resulted in a three-year effort that culminated his most fulfilling works: The John Henry series. The idea was rooted in a legend he had been told in childhood by his father and he took to researching the legitimacy of the folktale, drawing inspiration to integrate into his art. Any other explanations for why Hayden felt so strongly about John Henry and the series as a whole are unclear and unspecified, but are most likely linked to his proud ties to the African-American community. In his elder years, Hayden continued to be active with his art, regularly being selected for prestigious awards and traveling between Paris and the United States to fuel his inspiration. Racism remained a relevant topic in his life and art, leading him to publicly speak out against racist policies hindering the African-American and
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
communities. An example of this was seen in 1966, when Hayden wrote to William Booth, the Chairman of the City Commission on Human Rights, regarding the advocacy for an equal number of African Americans, Latinos, and white people on the board to prevent mistreatment fueled by prejudice and power. Hayden died on February 18, 1973, shortly after receiving a grant to depict African American soldiers between the world wars.


Works


The Janitor Who Paints
original, oil on canvas, 1937
The Janitor Who Paints
revised, oil on canvas, Smithsonian, ca. 1937
Fetiche et Fleurs
oil on canvas, 1926
Nous quatre a Paris
watercolor, 1930
Midsummer Night in Harlem
oil on canvas, 1936


Notes


References

* Hanks, Eric

2002. ''International Review of African American Art'', Volume 16, Number 1, pp. 30–42. * Riggs, Thomas
"Palmer Hayden, Harlem Renaissance Artist and Beyond"
1997. The African American Registry.

2003. Drop Me Off in Harlem, exploring the intersections. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. * "Palmer Hayden"

10/12/06.

2002. Palmer Hayden. Education Broadcasting Corporation. * Wintz, Cary D. & Finkelman, Paul (2004). ''Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance''. Volume 1. Routledge, *Sakrani, Rehmat
"Palmer Hayden, Painter
City, A. (n.d.).


External links

*
Palmer C. Hayden papers online at the Smithsonian Archives of American Art
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hayden, Palmer African folklore 1890 births 1973 deaths Painters from Virginia Cooper Union alumni People from Stafford County, Virginia 20th-century American painters American male painters 20th-century African-American painters