Jacob Lawrence

Jacob Lawrence was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey in 1917 on September 7. Before living in Harlem, New York at the time of the Harlem Renaissance Jacob Lawrence and his family first lived in Easton, Pennsylvania. After the split of his parents Jacob’s mother took Jacob and his brother and sister to Philadelphia, where the children had to stay in a foster home, while their mother worked. Then at the age of thirteen Jacob and his family soon moved to Harlem, New York where his mother had learned of many job opportunities there. (Perlin)

While living in Harlem, New York City Jacob started to pay attention to the surroundings around him. For example, he started noticing his neighborhood, differences in the buildings, and the people. While living in Harlem Jacob took after school classes at Utopia Children’s House. During the time Jacob spent here, his most favorite activity to do was art. He was led while attending Utopia Children’s House by a mentor by the name of Charles Alston. Who was an artist, teacher, and mentor at Columbia University Teacher’s College. (Perlin)

In 1937 Jacob Lawrence was offered a two year scholarship to the American Artists School. But unfortunately having to juggle both a job and high school at the same Jacob Lawrence dropped out of American Artists School. He eventually found a job at the age of twenty one at the WPA Federal Art Project, where he worked as a professional painter. At this time Jacob Lawrence created paintings that showed “the African American” living in Harlem, New York at the time of the Great Depression. His painting during this time portrayed poverty, police intimidation, and racial exploitation. His most famous paintings known at this time were his series of forty one paintings on the life of Toussaint L’ Ouverture. (Jacob and Gwen Knight Lawrence Foundation)
He then went on to marry Gwendolyn Knight, who was also a painter and sculptor. After getting married they lived in New Orleans then moved to Virginia. After staying there for a while, they eventually moved back to Harlem, New York. After getting married Jacob Lawrence pursued many careers other than painting. For example, after coming back to Harlem, New York Jacob Lawrence was drafted into the Coast Guard, and another career interest that he pursued was teaching. When African American history wasn’t taught back in Harlem, New York during this time in schools Jacob Lawrence would go around and share his expertise on painting to these kids instead (Jacob and Gwen Knight Lawrence Foundation).

In Jacob Lawrence’s paintings he uses bright colors. For example blue, red, orange, and yellow. In his paintings except for his mural he uses water colors. For the depiction of the African American he seems to stick to blacks and light browns. In each of his paintings including his murals, he seems to be showing the struggle that African Americans have gone through and how they now have ended up in society (Jacob and Gwen Knight Lawrence Foundation).

Works Cited

Gwendolyn Knight. Jacob Lawrence. 2003. 25 October 2008 <http://www.cs.washington.edu/building/art/JacobLawrence/>

Phillips. Phillips Collection. Unknown. 25 October 2008 <http://www.phillipscollection.org/lawrence/html/over01.html>

Whitney Museum of American Art. Whitney. 2002. 25 October 2008 < http://www.whitney.org/jacoblawrence/meet/index.html>

Jacob and Gwen Knight Lawrence Foundation. 2005. 25 October 2008.
<http://www.jacobandgwenlawrence.org/>

Thomas Gale. Galegroup. 2005. 25 October 2008
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