African American Artists
Romare Bearden, 1914-1988
Although born in the South, Romare Bearden spent most of his life in New
York City, where he developed an artistic reputation that probably
surpasses any other modern African American artist. Over a long lifetime
as an artist he experimented with different media and styles. He was, at
different times, a social realist, a cubist, and an abstract
expressionist. He is best known as a collagist, which often reflected his
southern background, and always reflected his African American heritage.
Claude Clark, 1915-
Born in Georgia, Claude Clark has maintained his links to folk activity
and his African American heritage. His paintings, such as "Slave
Lynching," tend to be simple and direct, leading the viewer to see a
direct and obvious statement that is often a commentary on society.
Aaron Douglas, 1899-1979
For almost thirty years Aaron Douglas was head of the Department of Art
at Fisk University, influencing a great many students, including a number
who were to become prominent African American artists. Prior to that
tenure Douglas was the leading artist of the Harlem Renaissance, known
especially for his striking murals in libraries and other public
buildings. These murals usually depicted significant events and people in
African American history. While his murals were usually two dimensional
and almost geometrical, his portraits, such as this one of "Marian
Anderson," were traditional and classical.
Clementine Hunter, 1887-1988
Clementine Hunter was a self-taught folk artist who began painting when
she was over forty, after spending her life up to that point cooking and
picking cotton at the Melrose Plantation in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Most
of her paintings are flat, two-dimensional views of rural southern life
-- an attempt to present an accurate picture as she saw it, rather than
following any formula for success. She became one of the South's most
important artists after her "discovery" in the 1950s.
William H. Johnson, 1901-1970
William H. Johnson experimented with a number of different styles during
his lifetime, including expressionism and an unusual abstract style --
but many of his paintings and murals were done in a traditional style.
And although he was not a true primitive painter, his religious
paintings, such as "Mt. Calvery," reflected his interest in African and
European primitive art.
Jacob Lawrence, 1917-
Jacob Lawrence gained early fame at 21, with his series of paintings on
Toussaint l'Ouverture. Through his portraits of Black leaders (Frederick
Douglass, Harriet Tubman), but primarily due to his series of paintings
on "The Migration of the Negro," Lawrence became one of the best known
American artists of this century. Usually using tempera, and preferring
angular, simplified forms, his paintings often have the look of posters
rather than paintings. Go to an exhibit of his paintings at the High Museum.
Henry O. Tanner, 1859-1937
Henry Ossawa Tanner spent most of his adult life in Paris, after trying
unsuccessfully to establish careers as painter and portrait photographer
in Philadelphia and Atlanta. After an initial period of painting black genre
paintings, such as "The Banjo Lesson" (considered to be one of his best), Tanner drew on his background as the son of an A.M.E. minister to become
principally a painter of religious subjects. This speciality was
strengthened by several trips to the Holy Land. Although winner of many
awards and having received widespread recognition -- probably more than
any other African American artist -- Tanner faced constant financial
hardships throughout his lifetime.
