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If a picture is worth a thousand words, than the impact of Harlem Renaissance
art shall last a lifetime! During this time, a myriad of new black painters
were exposed to the world. |
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Where
did most painters go to achieve recognition?
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What was
a typical subject in Harlem Renaissance painting?
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Who painted
the sides of public buildings?
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Which
painter was born in New Orleans?
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Which
painter held a honorary doctorate?
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| Answers
are at bottom of the page. |
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African-American painters in the early 1900's usually had to travel to
Europe to exhibit their works because people in the United States doubted
the talent of the black artist. This was not the only obstacle art had
to face for the black person. In a time where many of the subjects in a
picture were white, it was hard for the African-American to identify with
the paintings they saw. Seeing this, many artists who were still in America
began to use their own people as subjects. Soon, this idea spread and there
were paintings all over the country showing people of color. The paintings
usually contained aspects of the African-American's life, heritage, or
history. Once the nation understood that artists did not have to be white;
the black painter garnered the respect they yearned for. This also allowed
the talented artists who had to flee to Europe for acceptance an open door
to come home. Click here
to see some works. |
| Some
prominent people to note: |
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Aaron
Douglas
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Palmer
Hayden
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William
H. Johnson
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Loïs
Mailou Jones
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Archibald
J. Motley, Jr.
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| Aaron
Douglas |
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(1898-1979)
Aaron Douglas' work was the epitome of the "New Negro" philosophy. This
is evident in his attitude of the black artists role in the arts from a
statement by Douglas in a book by Amy Helene Kirschke: "...Our problem
is to conceive, develop, establish an art era. Not white art painting black...let's
bare our arms and plunge them deep through laughter, through pain, through
sorrow, through hope, through disappointment, into the very depths of the
souls of our people and drag forth material crude, rough, neglected. Then
let's sing it, dance it, write it, paint it. Let's do the possible. Let's
create something transcendentally material, mystically objective. Earthy.
Spiritually earthy. Dynamic." Instead of a canvas medium, it wasn't uncommon
to see a Douglas work splashed against a public building or on the cover
of The Crisis, a magazine published by WEB DuBois. In 1940, Douglas moved
to Nashville, Tennessee to found the Arts program at Fisk University where
he was a teacher for 29 years. |
| Some
of his works include Into (1936), Window Cleaning (1935), Study
for God's Trombones (1926), and Aspirations (1936). |
|
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| Palmer
Hayden |
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(1890-1973)
This Virginia native's real name was Peyton Hedgeman, but his commander
in World War One named him Palmer Hayden because he could not pronounce
the name. Hayden is referred as a self-trained artist, but really studied
at Cooper Union (New York) and Boothvay Art Colony (Maine) and in France
from 1927 to 1932. Hayden was famous for the way he used folklore and black
historical events in his painting. He was a forerunner in the art genre
when it came to using African subject and design. |
| Some
of his works include His Hammer in His Hands, Blue Nile, and John
Henry on the Right, Steam Drill on the Left. |
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| William
H. Johnson |
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(1901-1970)
William Johnson came from South Carolina to Harlem in the midst of the
Renaissance to study at the National Academy of Design. He remained there
for five years to study works from artists such as Charles Hawthorne and
George Luks. He then traveled around Europe and North Africa to find a
permanent place to dwell. In 1926, he settled in Paris and studied the
works of European Artists. Even though he was abroad, many of his paintings
depicted the African-American lifestyle. |
| Some
of her works include Girl in a Red Dress (1936), Self-Portrait (1929),
Ferry Boat Trip (1943-44), Untitled (1940-41), Street Life -- Harlem (1939-1940),
Swing Low Sweet, Chariot, and Chain Gang. |
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| Loïs
Mailou Jones |
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(1905-1998)
Jones painted ever since she was a child. Though she never lived in New
York, her paintings helped the cause of the Harlem Renaissance because
they have showed the world that art sees no skin colors. Jones found true
acceptance in Europe when she studied in Paris in 1937. During this time
the locals acclaimed her for her art; this acceptance inspired her to create
over 35 paintings in this time period. She was awarded numerous honorary
doctorates and was the holder of many degrees from her undergraduate and
graduate works. |
| Some
of his works include Negro Youth (1929), Negro Shack I, Sedalia, North
Carolina (1930), Nude Study (1925), The Flight of Love (1923), Young Girl
(Rodin) (1923), and Les Fetiches(1938). Click
here for Pictures. |
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| Archibald
J. Motley, Jr. |
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(1891-1981)
Motley, who was New Orleans born and Chicago raised, showed a love of art
at an early age; therefore, he studied in the Art Institute of Chicago.
In 1928, Motley made history by being only the second black artist to have
a one-man art show in New York City. The images he painted were used to
depict the black in a role that was not stereotypical of the time period,
and to give the white people a better understanding of black heritage.
Motley best summarized his purpose by his own words: "personality, intensity
and sympathy." |
| Some
of his works include Mending Socks (1924), Barbecue (1934), and
Blues
(1929). |
|
 |
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Where
did most painters go to achieve recognition? Europe.
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What was
a typical subject in Harlem Renaissance painting? Aspects of the African-American's
life, heritage, or hisstory.
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Who painted
the sides of public buildings? Aaron Douglas.
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Which
painter was born in New Orleans? A.J. Motley.
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Which
painter held a honorary doctorate? L.M. Jones
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