Art in the Atrium

Specially commissioned for SFMOMA, Kerry James Marshall’s monumental murals in the Haas Atrium show Mount Vernon and Monticello, the estates of American presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. Although these cherished sites have been depicted countless times, Marshall’s paintings stand apart by incorporating images of the slaves who supported plantation life. At first glance, a number of optical tricks conceal them from view, but visitors who engage in the artist’s visual game will discover figures that are so often omitted from representations of American history.

Art in the Atrium: Kerry James Marshall is presented to the public thanks to the generosity of the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund.