The Rescue of Dorie Miller 1942

Charles Sebree made this emotional drawing, The Rescue of Dorie Miller, on paper using ink. Look at the dramatic use of black and white, how the artist coaxes out the emotional weight of the scene, building it up through monochrome. It is so immediate. I can imagine Sebree drawing quickly, guided by his feelings and by a sense of urgency. What was it like for him to make this? To empathize with those two figures? To show a black man in an act of heroism? The ink is applied in washes that pool and stain the paper, creating subtle gradations of tone and texture. The lines are thick and sure, defining the forms with clarity and precision. The figure in the background bends protectively over the other man. That gesture. It speaks volumes. Sebree, like many artists, used painting to connect to something larger than himself. To tell a story that needed to be told. It reminds me of Jacob Lawrence’s Migration series, in its bold, graphic style and social consciousness. Artists are constantly borrowing from, and building on, each other's ideas.