Thelonious Monk

Artist

Boris Chaliapin, 1904 - 1979

Sitter

Thelonious Sphere Monk, 10 Oct 1917 - 17 Feb 1982

Exhibition Label

Born Rocky Mount, North Carolina

A leader of the postwar jazz revolution, Thelonious Monk—along with Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker—sparked the “bebop” movement, a jazz style faster and more frenetic than the swing that had held sway since the thirties. Monk’s piano style has been called eccentric: “his melodies were angular, his harmonies full of jarring clusters.” His recording career took off in the mid-1950s, and he won an enthusiastic following, often playing with such other avant-garde musicians as John Coltrane and Sonny Rollins. His compositions “Round Midnight,” “Blue Monk,” and “Epistrophy” are considered classics of modern jazz.

Credit Line

National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of Time magazine

1964

Object number

NPG.78.TC596

Restrictions & Rights

Usage conditions apply

Copyright

© Chris Murphy

Type

Painting

Medium

Oil on canvas

Dimensions

Stretcher: 53.3 x 38.1 x 2.5cm (21 x 15 x 1")

Frame: 65.4 x 49.8 x 6cm (25 3/4 x 19 5/8 x 2 3/8")

Exhibition

Bravo!

On View

NPG, South Gallery 322 Mezzanine

National Portrait Gallery

Topic

Costume\Headgear\Hat

Personal Attribute\Facial Hair\Mustache

Personal Attribute\Facial Hair\Beard

Costume\Dress Accessory\Feather

Costume\Dress Accessory\Tie\Necktie

Thelonious Sphere Monk: Male

Thelonious Sphere Monk: Performing Arts\Performer\Musician\Composer

Thelonious Sphere Monk: Performing Arts\Performer\Musician\Pianist

Thelonious Sphere Monk: Performing Arts\Performer\Musician\Jazz

Portrait

Record ID

npg_NPG.78.TC596

Usage of Metadata (Object Detail Text)

Usage conditions apply

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm4f03c83f2-d2f5-4f13-8f0a-3a3c1a94d8ac