Carolina Morning 1972

Romare Bearden created this print, “Carolina Morning,” using etching and aquatint. Notice the woman, veiled, in the doorway. The veiled figure appears across cultures and eras, from ancient Roman rituals, where veiled Vestal Virgins tended sacred flames, to depictions of the Virgin Mary. The veil has come to represent purity, mystery, and a boundary between the sacred and the profane. Here, the veil might suggest a sense of protection, mourning, or reverence, evoking the weight of familial and cultural memory. The scene invites us to contemplate not only the narrative within the frame, but also the broader themes of heritage, identity, and the enduring power of symbols to communicate across time. In the end, “Carolina Morning” reminds us that images are never isolated but are always part of a larger cultural conversation.