Lawrence, Jacob (1917-2000), was an important African American painter. His work portrays the daily life of African Americans and their history. Lawrence’s paintings show busy street scenes, pool halls, bars, and men and women working and relaxing. Lawrence’s style is not realistic, but it tells stories in a clear and lively way. He used flat, strongly outlined shapes and bright colors to make bold geometric patterns. He was influenced by the Mexican artists Jose Clemente Orozco and Diego Rivera, and by such modern American painters as Arthur Dove.
Lawrence painted several series about the lives of famous blacks. The Toussaint L’Ouverture series, begun in 1937, deals with the rebellion of African slaves in Haiti. The Frederick Douglass series (1938-1939) and others tell stories of oppressed people and their efforts to win liberty and justice for their race. Lawrence was born on Sept. 17, 1917, in Atlantic City, New Jersey. In 1970, he won the Spingarn Medal , the highest honor given by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Lawrence died on June 9, 2000.
