The Harlem Renaissance was the development of the Harlem neighborhood in New York City as a black cultural mecca in the early 20th Century and the social and artistic explosion that followed. It lasted roughly from the 1910s through the mid-1930s and was by and for people who had arrived from the south during the great migration, and others who had arrived in the United States via the Carribean diaspora. The movement invited African American artists to practice forms of art that would shatter stereotypes, increase visibility, and uplift black Americans. Artists did not shy away from difficult themes such as alienation, discrimination, and etc. Overall, the period is considered a golden age in African American culture, manifesting in literature, music, stage performance and art.
James Lesense Wells was an African American graphic artist and painter associated with the Harlem Renaissance. He was also an art professor at Harvard University from 1929 to 1968. He was very influential and is considered a pioneer in modern art education. Wells found inspiration in the qualities of African sculpture and German expressionist art. This revived the centuries-old medium of woodcut printing in the modern age. One of Wells’ works, “Looking Upward”, done in 1928 shows an outsize, silhouetted figure making his way among, and dominating, an urban forest of skyscrapers as they tumble. In the drawing, he also carries what seems to be a smaller model in representation of his home. The online article “Uncovering America: National Gallery of Art” describes the image as, “The figure looks about him, as if seeking or aspiring to fit in or establish roots. Many African Americans elected to move from the South to Northern cities during the Great Migration, experiencing both displacement and adjustment to new urban environments.”
As shown in this silhouette, it is clear how bold and dramatic the artist’s work is. The shapes, rhythm, and pattern can surely attest to how most people during the Harlem Renaissance must have felt. This painting can be used as a symbolism to describe entering a new place with your old place still on your mind, taking some getting used to but still willing to adjust to a new sense of home. There were a lot of figure ground reversal in this piece from the cityscapes to the windows to the figure itself. The inversion of the cityscape form assists in upending the expectation of foreground and background.
This is a picture depicting the movement of the Harlem Renaissance itself. In the photo, there are numerous colors and designs. The patterns are very fun and creative and surely show the blast of joy that others must have felt during this time. This is because at the end of World War I and continuing into the Great Depression period of the 1930s, African-American artists created a community of art and cultural achievement that was remarkable. With this being a great reason to rejoice, the painting of “Jazz and the Visual Arts” not only shows the meaningful and creative relationship of music to art, but also the very strong compositions within the painting. It’s amazing texture is sort of mosaic-like and gives it a 3D look. The texture of this artwork really helps the piece to come to life, in a time where the flourishing of all types of artforms came to life, this painting also switches from its use of primary colors and solemn colors showing how each color can give the work a different meaning.
In this final piece of artwork from the Harlem Renaissance, it shows an illustration from a children’s book. The cover art shows some of the different things that were accomplished during the Harlem Renaissance which was a very ambitious piece of design work. Although there are many things going on with this picture, each section is differentiated by a clear layout of color and design. For example, the complementary background colors from reddish orange, to purple, to blue. Though these colors are not that bold, they are very warm. It even seems as if the artist added a touch of white while mixing the colors to make it less transparent.
All in all, The Harlem Renaissance was a time of beautiful colors, artworks, music, and artists. It was a time where people got together to show their appreciation for the great things in life and created a wonderful picture for themselves to live on throughout history.
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