Beauford Delaney was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, but moved to Greenwich Village in New York City as a young man. There, he captured the bohemian arts scene he encountered before moving to Paris in 1953. He created both figurative and abstract works with heavily textured surfaces and bright hues. He painted portraits of cultural icons who lived in Paris, including James Baldwin and Ella Fitzgerald. This portrait of his niece uses yellow to convey hope, healing, and emotional rejuvenation.