The Study of Jacob Lawrence

I. Description A. Introduction Jacob Lawrence occupies an unusual position in the history of American art. He is an ionic figure, one of the great modern painters of the twentieth century, a distinction he earned early in his career when he gained widespread recognition for the narrative painting series The Migration of the Negro in 1941. In a century that equated the evolution of modern art with the will toward abstraction, Lawrence’s early success and …

…never strayed from the materials that first sparked his interest and ability to paint: water-based paints, paper, hardboard. His underdrawings remain critical to his process. When asked why he never ventured into other media, he laughed and responded that he was a “creature of habit.” Yet within these limited parameters, he developed a style that is unique and innovative. Working within an economy of means, his paintings are forceful, expressive, and to the point.(Dubois,263)