Portrait of a Black Panther Activist by N. Correa - Oil and Mixed Media - 1969

A powerful and visually commanding portrait by the elusive American artist N. Correa, this 1969 work captures the charged political and cultural atmosphere of the late Civil Rights era through the figure of a Black Panther activist rendered with striking immediacy and symbolic detail.
Painted at the height of the Black Power movement, the composition presents its subject frontally, clad in a denim vest adorned with insignia, emblems, and militant iconography associated with Black liberation and self-determination. The figure’s steady gaze, beret, and military posture recall the visual language popularized by the Black Panther Party during the late 1960s, when imagery became a crucial tool for asserting identity, resistance, and community empowerment.
Correa’s heavily worked surface—built through thick impasto and layered pigment—lends the painting an almost sculptural presence, emphasizing the gravity of the moment and the psychological intensity of the sitter. The urban skyline behind the figure situates the work firmly within the American cityscape, reinforcing its connection to the lived realities of racial struggle, activism, and political consciousness during the period.
Signed and dated 1969, the painting stands as a rare and compelling example of independent activist-era American art, created outside the mainstream art establishment yet deeply engaged with one of the most significant social movements of the 20th century. Works of this kind—particularly signed, large-scale painted portraits—are increasingly scarce and sought after for their historical resonance and cultural importance.
This work would be well suited for collectors of:
* Civil Rights–era and Black Power movement art
* Political and social realism
* Postwar American figurative painting
* Museum-quality historical works with strong narrative presence