Martin Luther King Jr.,

2002

In 1985, Wilson was awarded a commission from the National Endowment for the Arts to create a bronze bust of Martin Luther King Jr. for the US Capitol building in Washington, DC. It was the first representation of an African American in the Capitol Rotunda. This print is based on both the preparatory drawing and the sculpture Wilson made of King, depicting him with squared shoulders and a direct gaze to represent his monumental presence in history. Commenting on the project, Wilson reflects his career as a professor as well as an artist, explaining that he endeavored to “use shapes, lines, and colors like Dr. King used words, to change how people looked at others who were different from them.” To create this densely textured portrait, the artist produced nineteen etched states, or intermediary steps, building up the final image through layers. The gestural expressiveness of this technique captures King’s charisma while his pose conveys the strength of his resolve.