Aaron Douglas

I’m very fascinated with the works of Aaron Douglas from the Harlem Renaissance. I like Aaron Douglas works because he depicts the African figures in his paintings as strong and grand. His vision (in my interpretation) was to display African American heritage in a sculptural not completely abstract manner in his paintings than African American artist before him such as Henry Tanner realist paintings of The Banjo Lesson. His works are comparable to synthetic cubism by the transparency found in his works and angular planes of his figures and environments. He depicts this false illusion of depth by adding large things in the foreground and smaller things in the background. The hues in his composition are relatable to one another in the color wheel.  

Noahs’ Ark ca. 1927 Oil on Masonite 

In his work Noah’s Ark, Douglas hues are violet. The figures and animals closer to the foreground are a dark violet.  The figures heads are in profile showing a strong African feature. Douglas gives them a minimal design by not finishing the man’s arm in the ark pointing at the ominous storm behind them. Sharp linear angles are emphasized from unknown light above the clouds and the lightening coming down.

Into Bondage 1936

Oil on canvas, 153.4 x 153.7 cm

This hard edged style is also found in Into Bondage. The composition is about African men with shackles on their wrist being led from the green dark jungle to the ocean. Two slave ships are seen to the left of either the sunrise or sunset.  Again, the men have this purple and blue color to them, but with orange cuffs for their chains. Douglas places several men closer to the foreground of foliage looking up to the sky. Intentionally placed for the viewers, they would interpret the message of injustice that occurred during the 1500s from the Spaniards and Arabs until 1865 in United States and later in other countries.  The others somberly walk ahead where their horrible fate awaits them. The painting has a curvilinear hard edged quality with the leaves, African men, and choppy waves in the distant, but it is also geometric by the transparent sun and rays hitting the picture. Each circle in the rays changes the color or transparency within its diameter. It gradually reaches the foreground until its dark like the jungle  

Another work, Slavery through Reconstruction, Aspects of Negro Life Series display the history of African Americans in a minimal form. Cotton plants are in the forefront and what appears to be the capitol in the background. Douglas uses brown and green hues once again changes from the African figure. I like Douglas break into this clean minimal design.

Aaron Douglas, Slavery Through Reconstruction, Aspects of 

Negro Life oil on canvas, 84" x 96".Series, 1934

Noahs’ Ark ca. 1927 Oil on Masonite