Aaron douglas artist quotes about drawing

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Aaron douglas mini bio

The artwork and leadership of Aaron Douglas foreshadowed the Civil Rights era by setting the visual tone of the Harlem Renaissance movement of the s and s. Aaron Douglas was a leader in the Harlem Renaissance school of painting, and one of the first artists to document the history of the African-American experience through visual art.

His style was innovative and intriguing and is still viewed as a powerful expression of the oppression and resistance of African Americans. He was an artist who pushed the boundaries established by previous artists, creating portrayals of the African American experience that recognized its history and its African roots. In his painting, Into Bondage, Douglas depicts the perspective of the enslaved— African people in their native land chained and walking in a line to their horrifying fate.

Douglas portrays the harsh reality of slavery in this image, but depicts the person breaking free from the chains. His piece Building More Stately Mansions shows the achievements of African Americans throughout time by blending images from ancient Egypt and contemporary New York, while Aspirations contains symbols of musical accomplishment and achievement in scholarship and business.

Although his work actually preceded the Civil Rights Movement, it is such a strong example of art documenting historical achievement and resistance that it makes sense as a place to start this lesson. Douglas was a well-established muralist and painter who regularly contributed illustrations and designs to publications including Opportunity, The Crisis, Theater Arts, American Mercury, and Vanity Fair.