Augusta Savage's sculptures celebrate the beauty of Black bodies, offering alternative images to the pervasive unflattering stereotypes and caricatures that dominated visual culture during the early 20th century. With piercing eyes and an expression of calm determination, John Henry, a portrait bust of an unidentified man, shows Savage's tremendous skill in capturing not only the likeness of a person but conveying a deeper psychology as well. The strength and confidence of this figure is enhanced by the allusions of his famous name, which invokes the legendary steel-driving Black folk hero who triumphed in his race against a stream-powered machine.

Savage possessed that same defiant resolve. She battled her entire life for artistic oppurtunutites and recognition, not only for herself, but also for all African American artists. As a Black woman, Savage overcame numerous obstacles; she left her family in Florida, established herself in New York, and ultimately won a Rosenwald Fellowship to study in Paris. Upon her return to Harlem, she devoted herself to advancing the possibilities for Black artists. She established the Savage Studio for Arts and Crafts in 1932 and become the first director of the Harlem Community Arts Center in 1937. She mentored numerous young artists, including Jacob Lawrence, William Artis, and Norman Lewis, all of whose work is also represented in the MFA collection.

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