Arthello Beck, Jr. (1941 - 2004)
Sunday Afternoon Commute, 2003
oil on canvas
24 x 36 inches
32 x 44 inches (frame)
signed lower right: Arthello Beck Jr. 03

Arthello Beck, Jr. was an important Dallas artist and the first African American to own and operate an art gallery in the city. He graduated from Dallas’ Lincoln High School where he received his only art training and is considered self-taught. To continue his learning journey, he used the Dallas Public Library as a way to learn more about art. He never read an art book but instead looked at the pictures. He opened an art gallery in Oak Cliff, Texas, in 1973, where along with his own paintings, he displayed paintings and sculptures by other artists, especially African American artists from the Dallas area. Beck also sold paintings at the State Fair of Texas for over thirty years. Collectors of his work include former Dallas Cowboy Calvin Hill and his son and former NBA player Grant Hill. In "Sunday Afternoon Commute", Beck paints the historic and ancestral Dallas home of J.L. Turner, Sr., one of, if not the first African American, with a law degree to practice law in Texas.

The painting appears to be in good condition. Under UV examination, there is no evidence of restoration or inpainting.