Jacob Lawrence

Jacob Lawrence (1917-2000)

Lawrence moved to Harlem at 13. Inspired by the community’s vitality, he painted scenes of African American struggle and triumph both in contemporary life and in history. In his 20s, Lawrence earned a national reputation with several epic narrative series, especially his 60-panel The Migration Series, exhibited at MoMA in 1944. His expressive graphic style features boldly colored flat shapes arranged in angular compositions. Lawrence taught continuously and received many prestigious awards, including the National Medal of Arts.

Important Source Material:

Gates, Jr., Henry Louis & Jacob Lawrence. “An Interview with Jacob Lawrence by Henry Louis Gates, Jr.” MOMA, no. 19 (Spring 1995), 14-17.

Hills, Patricia. Painting Harlem Modern: The Art of Jacob Lawrence. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2009.

Wheat, Ellen Harkins, with a contribution by Patricia Hills. Jacob Lawrence: American Painter. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1986.

AM