Leaving St. Augustine's, 1950s

This painting has been authenticated by Clementine Hunter expert Tom Whitehead. Per Whitehead, the artist thinned paint during her early artistic practice in order to extend her supply of materials. Leaving St. Augustine's displays the "wash effect," notably in the yellow dresses, expected in Hunter's 1950s paintings. As a result, the underdrawing is visible in the women's skirts and the church steeple, revealing the artist's process and the development of her composition.