Portrait of Lloyd Patterson

Portrait of Lloyd Patterson explores the experiences of Black Americans in Russia through a portrait of artist Lloyd Walton Patterson. The work offers a broader view of Hillwood’s Russian art holdings by highlighting the diverse lives and histories of Black people in imperial and Soviet Russia.

Patterson traveled to Soviet Russia in 1932 with a group of Black Americans who planned to participate in *Black and White*, a Soviet-German film intended to expose racism in the United States. After the film project was abandoned, most of the group—including Langston Hughes and Louise Thompson—returned to the United States. Patterson stayed in Moscow, where he built a remarkable life.

The portrait is displayed with works from Marjorie Merriweather Post’s collection and is presented at Hillwood on long-term loan. Andrew Leddy purchased the painting from an antique shop in Moscow in 1992.

When: April 19, 2022, through March 31, 2027

Venue: Hillwood Estate Museum and Garden

Tickets: Price not available

Artist depicted: Lloyd Walton Patterson (1910–1942)

Related figures: Langston Hughes (1901–1967) and Louise Thompson (1901–1999) were among the Black American participants who traveled to Soviet Russia with Patterson.

Related film: *Black and White*, a planned Soviet-German production about racism in the United States

Presentation: The portrait is shown alongside works from Post’s collection as part of Hillwood’s Russian art holdings.

Loan: Long-term loan from Andrew Leddy, who acquired the painting in Moscow in 1992.