Family Jules: NNN (No Naked Niggahs)
- Artist: Barkley L. Hendricks
- Date: 1974
- Medium: Oil paint on canvas
- Dimensions: support: 1681 × 1832 mm
- Museum: Tate Modern
- Collection record: Tate Modern website
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About this artwork
This is the "Family Jules: NNN (No Naked Niggahs)" by Barkley L. Hendricks, painted in 1974. The work is oil on canvas, large and striking. It shows George Jules Taylor, a former Yale student, standing naked except for a pair of round glasses. He leans back on a plush white sofa, holding a hash pipe, and a printed shirt with a white woman faces him. Moroccan tiles cover the wall behind the couch, adding a vibrant contrast. Hendricks placed the black male figure in the role of the traditional female odalisque, a bold move that challenged prevailing sexual stereotypes. The painting’s realism—clear, unidealized flesh and texture—stands in contrast to the era’s trend toward African‑inspired idealization. The title itself confronts white anxieties about the black body, making the viewer aware of how such images are often censored or feared. Through this piece, Hendricks defies both racial and artistic conventions, offering a provocative and witty commentary on representation.
See it in person
Family Jules: NNN (No Naked Niggahs) is in the collection of Tate Modern on Bankside, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
