Herbert Gentry's subject matter is inherently social, and nearly always peopled. He was deeply influenced by jazz, which emerges as a powerful presence in the rhythms of his paintings. His figures are outlined by color - breathing and gregarious, often an inherent sweetness emerges with the childlike openness.

Born in Pittsburgh, PA, Mr. Gentry was raised in Harlem during its heyday, the highly creative period before World War II. He served as a member of the Armed Forces during that period, and his commitment to art was defined by his return to Paris in 1946 where he studied painting. Releasing his experiences upon the canvas, his autobiographical elements are propelled through feeling in spontaneous pai...