Josephine Baker

<p>The entertainer and activist Josephine Baker, an American expatriate celebrated for her riveting and commanding dance performances, rose to fame in 1920s Paris. In this tapestry, her friend, the artist Robert Brady, depicts Baker in a dynamic pose, wearing her famous banana skirt (which she debuted in 1926). The juxtaposition of the black, dark blue, and white background with the brown of Baker's lithe body and the yellow of her banana skirt dramatically captures the energy and iconoclasm of her vivid performances.</p>