Description
- Artist Overview In 1942, with segregation in full force, he broke a racial barrier by becoming the first African American artist whose work was acquired by The Museum of Modern Art. Through his vivid, accessible visual storytelling, Lawrence presented the richness and complexities of African American history and culture both to his own community and to the larger world.
- Date of Birth and death 1917–2000
- Nationality African American
- Style The artist’s socially engaged, narratively rich works drew on the legacies of Social Realism and Mexican muralism. Inspired by the ethos of the Harlem Renaissance, Lawrence depicted icons of Black liberation such as Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass, and he also rendered his mid-century Harlem community at large.
- Notable work 2019 The Builders (1947) was acquired by the White House Collection.
