Romare Bearden (1911–1988) is a towering figure of American modernism, celebrated for collages, photomontages, and paintings that weave jazz, memory, African diasporic imagery, and urban life into layered, soulful narratives. Bearden’s innovative technique of collage and montage—“putting something over something else”—created textured visual stories of Harlem, music, and family. He was also a dedicated activist, co-founding galleries and advocating for the increased visibility and representation of Black artists.