Art

During the Harlem Renaissance African Americans became more expressive
about their culture and lifestyle. Many artists depicted the “New Negro” in their work, the better self image of African Americans. Painters such as Palmer C. Hayden, Malvin Gray Johnson, and Laura Wheeler Waring exhibited bold portraits of Negros and the black life from different prospectives. Sculptors used a variety of materials, such as clay, wood, and bronze to create representations of African Americans and their lifestyles. Richmond Barthe, Sargent Johnson, and Augusta Savage are among these sculptors. The illustrations and jacket covers of Aaron Douglas, who is considered to be the “Father of Afro-American Art”, can be found in the pages of The Crisis, Opportunity, and New Masses. The pictures in these books and magazines produce imagery that depicts the Negroes new self image during the Harlem Renaissance. Artists were influenced by jazz music and folk traditions.

Study for Aspects of Negro Life: The Negro in an African Setting, 1934

This moral depicts the history of African Americans, from their origins in Africa to life in America in the 1930s

Kaleigh L.

Sources Cited:
http://www.askart.com/askart/interest/black_american_artists_1.aspx?id=33#Harlem
http://www.artlex.com/ArtLex/a/african_american_4.html
http://www.huntfor.com/arthistory/C20th/harrenaiss.htm
http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/118282