Detail view of a mural based on Aspects of Negro Life: From Slavery Through Reconstruction by Harlem Renaissance artist Aaron Douglas (Photo by John Opgaard) Hopper's "Nighthawks," Wood's "American Gothic," and Bellow's boxing epic "Stag at Sharkey's" -- all iconic paintings we bet you'll recognize. They show us a glimpse into American lifestyles in the first half of the 20th century. But an important part of the U.S. population had gone misrepresented in art -- until the Harlem Renaissance artists caught the public eye. These aspiring African Americans illustrated the raw reality of color lines and terrifying tribulations of a racial minority. Most of them being sons and daughters of former slaves, they participated in the Great Migration from the segregated South to find a better life. Many epitomized the struggling artist by barely making ends meet, while also dealing with the enduring presence of oppression. Yet, they still found solace in their cultural creative expressions. With the recent passing of the last surviving members of the Harlem Renaissance, we hope their legacy of portraits and urban images continue to remind us of an artistic revolution that shouldn't be forgotten. Suggested Sites... Online NewsHour: Harlem Renaissance - find answers to common questions about art of the Harlem Renaissance. ArtsEdge: Drop Me Off in Harlem - meet the figures of the revolutionary community. PBS: The Harlem Renaissance - short biographies of the famous artists with images of their work. inIVA: Rhapsodies in Black - explore artistic perspectives of the Harlem Renaissance. University of Michigan: Harlem - venture through the heyday of an African-American cultural mecca.

Directory categories: Harlem Renaissance, Harlem Renaissance Artists, Art Movements, Art History

Archived under: American History, Artists, Arts, Black History, History, Regional

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