Harlem Renaissance Art

Harlem Renaissance prospered from early 1920 to 1940. It was an African-American’s expression of social thought and culture which occurred in the neighborhood of Harlem in New York City, a newly-formed Black community. Named after The New Negro anthology, it was better known as the “New Negro Movement”. It was expressed through every cultural dance, medium-visual art, music, literature, theatre, history, poetry and politics of Harlem. African-American writers, artists and musicians convey their civil rights and equality through their art and culture instead of direct political means. Thus, Harlem Renaissance Art fired up.

Harlem Renaissance Art is the result of the African-American Cultural Revolution. African-American made this as a way to uplift their spirit and give importance on their life. This serves as their means to voice out and express the real state of their lives as they add sophistication and mirth in their lifestyle. It created a lasting legacy of African-American writings, paintings and music that was realized into their mainstream culture.

Harlem Renaissance Art is presented with the works of William H. Johnson in his Self Portrait with Bandana and Lois Mailou Jones in her Les Fetiches. On the other hand Aaron Douglas was considered as the “Father of African-American Art) through his works such as Idylls of the Deep South and Into Bondage. Other prominent Harlem Renaissance artists are Sir Jacob Epstein (Portrait Bust of Paul Robeson), Jacob Lawrence (Dust to Dust), Ronald Moody (Midonz) and Archibald Motley Jr. (Blues). Duke Ellington and Bessie Smith’s music also comprises the rich artistic legacy of the Harlem Renaissance Period.