Exhibit of Romare Bearden's prints a must-see show at The Hyde

Bearden retired at 58 after working for 30 years as a social worker for the New York City Department of Social Services.

Among other commendations, Bearden was awarded a posthumous lifetime achievement award from the Studio Museum in Harlem, an institution he was instrumental in founding.

Part of the appeal of many printmaking techniques is the ability to make multiple copies of one work.

The subject matter is familiar territory for Bearden, who combined images of the African-American experience — from his African-American roots in the South to jazz musicians who made up his social circle in New York City — with imagery from the Bible and mythology.

Like Matisse, an obvious influence, Bearden was inspired by the improvisational impulse and rhythm of the music.

The Hyde Collection is the last stop on the exhibit's 10-city tour, which began at Bowdoin College Museum of Art in Maine in 2009 and crisscrossed the country, stopping in Bartlesville, Okla., San Francisco and Chicago, among other cities.