Jacob Lawrence Biography and Artwork

Jacob Lawrence was an American painter and the most widely acclaimed African-American artist of the 20th century. He is best known for his Migration Series and War Series, which documented African American historical subjects and contemporary life.

Lawrence was born in 1917 in Atlantic City, New Jersey to Southern migrants. At age 13, he moved to Harlem with his family where he discovered his love for art through community workshops. In 1938-1939, he worked on the Federal Arts Project.

In 1944, Lawrence had his first significant solo exhibition at New York’s Museum of Modern Art. He spent the rest of his career portraying African American experience in several series devoted to figures such as Toussaint L’Ouverture, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, and civil rights movements in Harlem.

Throughout his life, Jacob Lawrence received numerous awards including honorary doctorates from Columbia University and Harvard University. He died in Seattle in 2000 but left behind a legacy as an influential artist who masterfully captured African-American history through his art pieces.

All Jacob Lawrence Artwork on Artchive