Archibald Motley: Nightlife

It’s near 1:00 a.m. and time to dance in Archibald Motley’s Nightlife, a bustling cabaret in 1940s Chicago. Drawing from cinematic techniques, Motley painted genre scenes such as this to depict the diversity of black American experiences, hoping to speak across racial divides and inspire social change. The painting in this 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle is alive with revelry, portraying the most vibrant elements in sophisticated, young lives—all under the burgundy glow of nightclub lights.