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Jacob Lawrence

According to the New York Times on June 10, 

2000, Jacob Lawrence was viewed as "One of 

America's leading modern figurative painters" 

and "among the most impassioned visual 

chroniclers of the African-American experience”1.  

Lawrence was born September 7, 1971 in Atlanta 

City, New Jersey.   He was an African-American 

painter known for his portrayal of African 

American life.   He is among the best known 20th 

century African American painters.   The primary 

influence behind Lawrence’s style was the 

shapes and colors of Harlem.

Background

Lawrence was introduced to drawing as a teenager and 

was enrolled in an arts and crafts settlement house in 

Harlem to keep him out of trouble.   After dropping out 

of school at age sixteen (16), Lawrence continued art 

classes at the Harlem Art Workshop and the Harlem 

Community Art Center.   Lawrence secured a scholarship 

to the American Arts School and a paid position with 

Works Progress Administration.   It was with the WPA 

that Lawrence had the opportunity to work with such 

notable Harlem Renaissance artist as Charles Alston and 

Henry Banarn.   They played a major influence in 

inspiring the style of Jacob Lawrence.

Career

Throughout his lengthy artistic career, 

Lawrence concentrated on exploring the 

history and struggles of African 

Americans.   He often painted art 

depicting important periods in African-

American history.   At age twenty-one 

(21) he painted a series of paintings of 

the Haitian general Toussaint 

L’Ouverture.   This series was at an 

exhibit of African-American artists at 

the Baltimore Museum of Art.

His Work

   He later painted paintings of the lives of Frederick 

Douglass and Harriet Tubman, and a series of pieces 

about the abolitionist John Brown.   At age twenty-

three (23) Lawrence Jacob did a sixty (60) panel 

series the he titled Migration of the Negro which has 

now later been titled the Migration Series.   This 

series depicted the moving migration when hundreds 

of thousands of African Americans migrated from the 

rural south to the north after World War I and the 

adjustment they made to their new lives in the north.  

His Work cont.

   This series gave him national recognition and landed 

him his first solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern 

Art in New York City.   Lawrence did several more 

series as well as taught art at several universities.  

Jacob Lawrence made 319 artworks in his life. Before 

he died, he and his wife, Gwendolyn Knight who was 

also an artist, set up the Jacob and Gwendolyn Knight 

Lawrence Foundation which awards a $10,000 art 

scholarship.   Jacob Lawrence died on June 9, 2000 at 

the age of eighty-two (82). 

My Reflection

When I look at the Migration Series by Jacob 

Lawrence, I can’t help but to feel chill bumps 

come up on my arms.   As an African-American 

growing up, I have read many stories of the 

struggle to migrate from the slavery of the 

south to the free north.   Lawrence so vividly 

depicts the scenes to the point where you can 

vividly visualize the actual journey.

My Reflection cont.

  His use of colors and shapes give his 

work its own signature that when you 

see them you know that they are a 

Jacob Lawrence piece.   His use of 

colors and shapes are also quite obvious 

in his piece named the "Self Portrait”.  

He uses the shapes and colors to make 

a realistic portrait an abstract 

piece.

My Reflection cont.

Jacob Lawrence was quite a remarkable 

artist who has embraced the history of 

his people and has depicted their lives 

in a way to show the beauty that was 

there within.

Jacob Lawrence.

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