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Romare Bearden, Prevalence of Ritual: Conjur Woman, 1964
collage of various papers with foil, ink, and graphite on cardboard
Anonymous lender
© Romare Bearden Foundation/Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY

The phrase "prevalence of ritual" was first used in relation to this and three other 1964 collages: Conjur Woman as an Angel, Tidings, and Baptism. The conjure woman (which Bearden consistently spelled "conjur"), a spirit figure in southern African-American culture, moved north as part of the Great Migration and reappears frequently in Bearden's work. She is called upon to prepare love potions, cure illnesses, and assist with personal problems.

Copyright © National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.