Kerry James Marshall, "Past Times" (1997)

"Past Times" by Kerry James Marshall is a monumental acrylic and collage painting portraying a Black family enjoying leisure by a lake, boating, golfing, and picnicking in a sprawling urban park. Completed in 1997, the work upends the Western art tradition by representing Black subjects in idyllic, upper-class settings commonly found in canonical paintings like Seurat’s "Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte." Mixing references from Renaissance painting to Black folk art, Marshall combines a deep knowledge of art history with contemporary Black experience, using vibrant color, complex composition, and subtle symbolism to challenge stereotypes and expand the possibilities for Black representation.

"Past Times" is a pivotal work in the canon of contemporary art and a milestone for Black artists, blending the personal, the historic, and the universal. When Sean Combs purchased it for $21.1 million at Sotheby’s in 2018, the painting set a world record for a living Black artist, catapulting Marshall onto the global stage. The work has become an enduring symbol of the push for equity and presence in art history, as well as a powerful example of how the Black experience can reshape iconic themes of beauty, leisure, and community.