In 1976, when Black art was far from mainstream in the United States, the ambitious Black curator and artist David Driskell did something unprecedented: he put together a landmark exhibition called “Two Centuries of Black American Art.” The show followed a narrative arc from the 19th century to the 1970s, and included work by pioneers and up-and-coming figures. Driskell died two years ago, in 2020, but he was able to witness the surging mainstream admiration for Black artists. In remembrance of that important first show, this exhibition reframes the practice of Black portraiture. Dating from the 1800s to the present day, 140 works place Black subjects, sitters, and spaces centerstage. —Elena Clavarino