Aaron Douglas, Study for "An Idyll of the Deep South"

  I consider myself reasonably educated in Art of Western culture, but I find it interesting that in slowly attaining that education this week's artist was completely missed.  And, he was a huge heavy-weight.  I picked this image out after scanning the collection at the Nelson Atkins Art Museum in Kansas City, MO. I selected it not for the subject matter, but for the amazing composition which immediately drew me in.  I now have done minor research into Aaron Douglas (1899-1979) and here is a little of what I have found.
   He was born in Kansas and moved about the middle of our country working at various labor jobs to attain an education.  He even attended the University of Minnesota for a short time.  He did make the "required" trip to Paris for a short time, but it was in Harlem, New York City where he first made his major impact.   Here he was a leader in the Harlem Renaissance and the Harlem Artist's Guild, and by this time had several college degrees.   Eventually he moved on to Nashville where he founded the Art department at Fisk University where he taught until retirement in 1966.   
    It seems the American Black movement in Art cannot be understood without addressing the huge contribution of Aaron Douglas.  He was one of the first to address social issues connected with race and segregation.  His imagery created a sense of unity between Africans and African Americans.   
  So now, this weeks image.  Notice how the leaves across the top and the foliage at the bottom provide a frame while concentric circle moving in or out zero our attention to the direct middle.  It is the line of three tree trunks that assist in creating a right to left flow.  And, then, to cap it all off, is the star and star light cutting across the format. Wow, what a dynamic work! 
   My quick research about this image is that it depicts the perseverance of African American song and dance against the cruelty of lynching and other threats to African Americans in the United States.  
  "Study for Aspects of Negro Life: ""An Idyll of the Deep South"" is a gouache over pencil on artist's board.  It measures 10 x 24 inches and is part of the permanent collection of the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO.  Again, today's image is a study.  It is a study for one of four murals Douglas did in 1934 from a commission from the Works Progress Administration.  This mural is in Harlem, New York City.  I did find an address: 515 Lenox Ave, but I am not sure that is accurate.  Also, our study and the mural are monochromatic and I have seen a couple of images of the mural and I am confused about  the color used.  One writer wrote it was purple, but a photo looked more brown.....
   Make Art a part of your life, it's a beautiful thing to do.    
 

Comments

  1. Char HarguthAugust 24, 2021 at 9:29 AM

    Thanks for introducing us to another new artist, and a very skillful one. I find this work very powerful. Every figure is in motion, whether musically, or laboring. I think the artist is shining a light on his people and showing their resilience against the obstacles they endured. Music was always a survival therapy for them and a great contribution to our culture. You described an interesting composition for this wide work of art. I also find it rather emotional, and the artist certainly highlights the African American importance in our history.

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