Jacob Lawrence
United States, 1917-2000

Jacob Lawrence was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey. As a child, he went to live with
his mother in Philadelphia and then in Harlem. During his early teens, Lawrence
began studying art when his mother enrolled him in an after-school arts program in
Harlem. There, he met the African American artist Charles Alston, who became his
mentor. At the age of 16, Lawrence quit high school. He continued to take art
classes.

In the mid-1930s, Lawrence began painting his first important works—scenes of
street life in Harlem. Lawrence used vivid colors and stark images to address many
of the social issues confronted by African Americans during that time. Some of his
best-known works are several biographical series in which he depicted the lives of
African American historical figures. In 1940, Lawrence began work on what would
become his most famous series of paintings—The Migration of the American Negro.
This series tells the story of the African American migration from the South to the
North as they looked for work in the years following World War I.

During the 1950s and 1960s, when many artists began to paint in the style of
Abstract Expressionism, Lawrence remained true to his subject matter and artistic
style. He continued to address social issues, including racism and discrimination. In
1970, Lawrence moved to Seattle and became an art professor at the University of
Washington. He continued to paint, however, until his death.