Joseph Delaney

Joseph Delaney Self Portrait

Joseph Delaney was a 20th century African-American painter. A native of Knoxville, Tennessee, Delaney spent much of his career as an artist and painter in New York City.

After spending over 50 years amid the hustle and bustle of New York’s city streets, Delaney returned to his childhood home and finished out his life in Knoxville as artist-in-residence at the University of Tennessee.

Delaney was recognized during his career, but most of his fame and notoriety was realized only after his death. He is now a celebrated painter and many of his works are displayed in museums and exhibitions across the country.

Joseph Delaney’s artwork, including sketches and paintings, spans from the early 1930’s to the early 1980’s. Some of his most notable paintings are Penn Station at War Time (1945) and V-J Day, Times Square (1961).