Artist of the Month: Jacob Lawrence

Jacob Lawrence

Jacob Lawrence was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey on September 7, 1917.  He is an American painter whose works portray scenes of Black life and history with ivid, stylized realism.  At age 13, Lawrence moved with his family to his family to the Harlem section of New york City.


Gouache and tempera paints were Lawrence's charatcteristic media.  His use of somber browns and black for shadows and outlines in an otherwise vibrant palette lent his worka distinctive overtone.  His best-known works are his series on historical or soceial themes, including  ...And the Migrants Kept Coming (1940), Life in Harlem (1942), and War (1947).   Lawrence taught at various schools and colleges and became a professor of art at the University of Washington in Seattle in 1971;  he retired in 1986.  He died at the age of 83.

Living in Harlem (1943)

For more information about Jacob Lawrence, go to Britannica.com or click here!