Map of Harlem – 1920’s
• In the early 1920s, African American artists, writers, musicians, and performers were part of a great cultural movement known as the Harlem Renaissance.
• The huge migration to the North after World War I brought African Americans of all ages and walks of life to the thriving New York City neighborhood called Harlem.
• Doctors, singers, students, musicians, shopkeepers, painters, and writers, congregated, forming a vibrant mecca of cultural affirmation and inspiration.
Art from the Harlem Renaissance
Street Life, Harlem, by William H. Johnson
Jeunesse by Palmer Hayden
Langston Hughes1902-1967
Langston Hughes wrote,Langston Hughes wrote, ““Harlem was in vogue.”Harlem was in vogue.”
Black painters and sculptorsjoined their fellow poets,
novelists, actors, and musicians in a creative
outpouring that establishedHarlem as the
international capital ofBlack culture.
Zora Neale Hurston1891-1960
American writer
Zora Neale Hurston was remarkable in that she was the most widely published
black woman of her day. She authored more than fifty
articles and short stories as well as four novels, two books on folklore, an autobiography, and some plays. At the height of her success she was known as the “Queen of the Harlem “Queen of the Harlem
Renaissance.”Renaissance.”
In 1925, at the height of the jazz era in Paris, the
sensational cast of musicians and dancers
from Harlem, assembled as La Revue Negre,
exploded on the stage of the Theatre des Champs
Elysees. Its talented young star, Josephine
Baker (1906-1975), captivated audiences with a wild new dance called
the Charleston.
“Louis Armstrong’s station in the history of jazz is unimpeachable. If it weren’t for him, there wouldn’t be any
of us.” Dizzy Gillespie, 1971
Duke Ellington1899-1974 Duke
Ellington brought a level of style and sophistication to Jazz that it hadn't seen before. By the time of his passing, he was considered amongst the world’s greatest composers and musicians.
James Van Der Zee 1886-1983Couple, Harlem 1933silver print photograph
The visual art of the Harlem Renaissance was an attempt at developing a new African-
American aesthetic in the fine arts.
Thematic content includedAfrica as a source of inspiration,
African-American history,folk idioms, (music and religion of the South),
and social injustice.
Believing that their life experiences were valuable sources of material for their art, these artists
created an iconography of the Harlem Renaissance era.
Meta Warrick Fuller was a sculptor who looked to
the songs of black Americans and to Africanfolk tales for inspirational
themes that focused on pathos and joy in the
human condition. She introduced these subjects to
America long beforethe Harlem Renaissance.
Meta Vaux Warrick FullerSculptor
1877-1968
This sculpture by Meta Warrick Fuller, anticipated the spirit and style
of the Harlem Renaissance by symbolizing the emergence of the
New Negro.
The Awakening of Ethiopia1914
Fuller said she was thinking about the average African-American,
whom she envisioned “awakening, gradually unwinding the bondage of
his past and looking out on life again, expectant and unafraid.”
Henry Ossawa TannerThe Banjo Lesson, 1893
Tanner wanted to showa positive image of theAfrican-American byhighlighting the senseof dignity and in the
touching moment of theelder teaching the boy how to play the banjo. Tanner
also chose the banjo because of its African
origin and its being the most popular musical
instrument used by the slaves in early America
Window Cleaning, 1935
“I refuse to compromise
and see blacks as anything less than a proud and majestic
people.”
Aaron Douglas1898-1979
William H. Johnson Street-life Harlem
Johnson arrived inHarlem when the
Renaissance was in the making. While
there he created several paintings that dealt with
political and social Harlem. Chain
Gang is one example.
William H. Johnson1901-1970
Chain Gang. 1939
William H. JohnsonSwing Low, Sweet Chariot
1939
Johnson always showed great
devotion to painting themes that celebrated
Black Christianity. This painting is an example
of one based on a literal interpretation of a spiritual occasion.
Palmer Hayden, The Janitor Who Paints, 1937
In this symbolic self-portrait, Hayden is at work in his basement
studio, surrounded by the tools of his dual
professions, a palette, brushes and easel, and a garbage can, broom, and
feather duster. The painter’s studio is also his
bedroom, and his bed, night table, alarm clock, and a framed picture of a
cat are seen in the background.
Palmer Hayden, The Blue Nile, 1964
Gwathmey was raised inVirginia, but it was not
until his return to the South after years of art schooling in New York that he began
to empathize with the African-American
experience. He commented, “If I had
never gone back home, perhaps I would never have
painted the Negro.” Robert Gwathmey 1903-1988
Custodian, 1963
Jacob Lawrence1917-2000
Jacob Lawrence was a painter who was inspired to focus his work on the historical development and struggle of people
from African descent. He used his canvas as a vehicle for making statements on
Freedom, Dignity, Struggle, and Daily Life among the
African-American peoples.
Jacob Lawrence Harlem Rooftops
Jacob LawrenceAspiration 1988
Lawrence commented,
“What did I see when I arrived in Harlem in 1930? I was thirteen years of age.
I remember seeing the movement, the life, the
people, the excitement. We were going through a great, great depression at that time,
but despite that, I think, there was always hope.”
Jacob Lawrence Dust to Dust (The Funeral) 1938
Jacob Lawrence Dancing Doll, 1947
Jacob Lawrence, The Builders, 1998
Jacob Lawrence,The Builders, 1974
Legend of John Brown, 1977
“I’ve always been interested in history, but they never
taught Negro history in the public schools…I don’t see how a history of the United
States can be written honestly without including the Negro. I didn’t paint
just as a historical thing, but because I believe these
things tie up with the Negro today. I am not a politician. I’m an artist, just trying to
do my part to bring this thing about…”
Men Exist For The Sake of One;
Teach Them Then or Bear With Them
Jacob Lawrence
Elizabeth Catlett (1915-2012)
Elizabeth Catlett wasan African American printmaker and sculptor. Born in 1915 she created prints and Sculptures until shedied in 2012 at the Age of 97.
"I feel it quite natural to paint or sculpt or draw whatI know the most about and I know the most about Black women, about mothers andchildren, about working people and that's the kind of art I do."
http://youtu.be/mnpu6sk1NL0