From Athlete to Artist, Ernie Barnes Captured Life’s Spirit in Every Stroke

Celebrated for his dynamic depictions of everyday life, Ernie Barnes transitioned from professional football to become a groundbreaking artist.

The Native Gift

ERNIE BARNES (1938-2009) was a former professional football player who became a successful figurative painter, known for depictions of athletes and ordinary people whose muscled, elongated forms express physical and spiritual struggles, as well as joy in the everyday. He was an artist of the people — most especially of Black people—selling reproductions of his works at prices that enabled everyone to own something beautiful.

He was also an artist to the rich and famous, selling many of his original works to athletes, movie stars, and musicians. His style was familiar to prime-time television audiences in the mid-1970s when producer Norman Lear hired Barnes to “ghost” the paintings by the Jimmie Walker character “J.J.” in the groundbreaking sitcom “Good Times.” As the backdrop for the show’s closing credits, Lear used Barnes’ 1971 painting Sugar Shack, his most famous work. Singer Marvin Gaye later adapted the painting as the cover art for his 1976 album, “I Want You.” Sugar Shack sold for $15.3 million at Christie’s in 2022. His 1972 painting, The Native Gift, sold for $330,700 on Nov. 19 at Bonhams.

The Sugar Shack

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