Hale Woodruff

Who was Hale Woodruff?

Hale Aspacio Woodruff was an African-American artist known for his murals, paintings, and prints. One example of his work, the three-panel Amistad Mutiny murals, can be found at Talladega College in Talladega County, Alabama. The murals, commissioned and painted during the Great Depression, are entitled: The Revolt, The Court Scene, and Back to Africa, portraying events related to the slave revolt on the Amistad. Located in Savery Library, they depict events on the ship, the U.S. Supreme Court trial, and the Mende people's return to Africa.

The library also has a portrayal of the ship as part of the lobby floor. Local tradition at the college prohibits walking "on" the ship, despite its central location. In addition, the library has other Woodruff murals depicting other events from African-American history, including student registration at the college after the American Civil War.

Born in Cairo, Illinois, he studied at the John Herron Art Institute in Indianapolis and at Harvard University and spent four years studying in Paris from 1927-31.Woodruff also studied under Diego Rivera as an apprentice in Mexico in 1936. While his Amistad Mutiny murals are some of his best known work, Woodruff also applied his understanding of Post-Impressionism and Cubism for social advocacy after his return to the United States.