Have you ever seen a rendering of a historical figure in a photo, picture, or portrait and wondered (even if ever so slightly) in what year or at what point in his/her life the  depiction was captured? Or viewed a piece of artwork (for example, a painting) of that person and thought to yourself, “What actual image or event was this piece based on?”

During this Martin Luther King Jr. day holiday, in keeping with the theme of this blog, I thought it would be nice to take a moment to look at some (what I think is) memorable poster art that reflect both key moments and important aspects in the life and times of the late civil rights leader. Because as the saying goes, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” And a picture with an historical  perspective might be worth even more (I’ll try to be brief and not come close to a thousand words).

I’ll take these art prints based on the chronological order of the events to which the prints allude.

Montgomery, Alabama’s Martin Luther King

The art on this Time magazine cover is by Boris Chaliapin and shows a relatively younger, fresh-faced Reverend King (and I use the expression ‘relatively younger’ in consideration of the fact that, by many counts, he was still rather young even at the time of his death at the age of 39). There’s someone preaching in a pulpit on the right of the cover, someone who bears little resemblance to King, and might be there just to reinforce to the uninformed audience exactly what his vocation was. Of particular interest is the bus-pedestrian-fare tableau in the lower left corner. This is in reference to the year-long Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955 (two years prior to the  date of this Time issue) he helped organize, which ultimately led to the repeal of certain transit Jim Crow laws.

Note how the cover assigns his city of residence (Montgomery)  to his name this early in his career. With the events that were to transpire for the rest of his career, Martin Luther King Jr. would soon become a household name, and the magazine  would not (as you will later see) feel the need to qualify his name on the subsequent covers featuring his likeness.

Martin Luther King, Man of the Year

This magazine jacket features a tempera done by Robert Vickrey. It depicts Dr. King casting a long shadow. Since this issue was in early 1964, the annual accolade was bestowed by Time, of course, for the previous year (1963). A year marked by beatings, death, civil unrest, and just general all-around disquiet in the fight for racial equality, a fight spearheaded by Reverend King. A year that saw a March on Washington and a speech – “I Have a Dream” – for the ages. There, within the shadows of both the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial was King casting a truly long historical shadow of his own.

Martin Luther King Jr Civil Rights

As I’ve mentioned in the past, when we at the day after see a product that features a person or people we admire and/or an idea that we espouse to (as with black artists and with black art, respectively), we do not hesitate to go out and stock that product.

That being said, one of this blogger’s favorite posters (which is why we carry it in our store) is the aptly-titled Martin Luther King Jr Civil Rights Art Print. The year of 1964 transcribed on the print was indeed the year the Civil Rights Act was signed, and the depiction on the right featuring Dr. King and his wife Coretta Scott King is based on a photo that was taken in that year. (Unfortunately, I can’t put a definitive time stamp on the photo the picture on the left is based on.)

But this print does even more than signify, finally, the passing of legislation promoting equal liberties for black and for white. It shows Dr. King just as comfortable holding court with the press as he is out with a loved one. The duality of his existence as both an outspoken public figure and a faithful family man (which he was) is marvelously captured here by artist Stephanie Marrott. She even throws in excerpts from the “I Have a Dream” speech as a symbolic gesture of what he stood for.

Martin Luther King, Master Speaker

The cover portrait here by Ben Shahn is in simple black and white, and seems to simply do what it’s meant to do: capture him as the powerful orator that he was. Even as this Time issue was being published in March of 1965, Dr Martin Luther King, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (an organization he helped found), and many protesters were organizing a march that was to start in Selma and end in Montgomery. After two failed attempts early in the month, the march was finally realized on March 25, where, at the State Capitol Building, he gave another inspirational public address – his “How Long, Not Long” speech.

You could say that the magazine cover that came out earlier in the month was prophetic as far as the later “How Long” speech was concerned. But that would be like predicting that a winged eagle would eventually rise and soar away…

Martin Luther King and Malcolm X, One Vision

Perhaps the most profound and most insightful of King posters (as far as the point-of-view of the artist is concerned, anyway) is the print of Bernard Stanley Hoyes that depicts Malcolm X and the reverend sharing an eye. Rightfully so, the art piece is called “One Vision,” and was created in 1970 after both men had already been assassinated (both at the age of 39). Hoyes, in his own words, wanted to highlight the similarities between King’s and Malcolm’s perspectives on racial equality and how to attain such, despite the public’s posthumous praising of the former and simultaneous denouncement of the latter.

To re-iterate, the purpose of this article was to celebrate the life of Martin Luther King, Jr through picture art. To relive his moments in photographic detail, visit this extensive King gallery.  You can purchase any of the Time magazine cover wall posters by going to that publication’s website and following an appropriate link.

(OK, I think I might have exceeded a thousand words. But, in my defense, I was talking about more than I picture…:))