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Learn about Aaron Douglas, a major figure in the Harlem Renaissance who painted murals and illustrations with African-centric imagery. Explore his 17 artworks and his role in the Art Department at Fisk University.
- American
- May 26, 1899
- Topeka, United States
- February 3, 1979
- Who Was Aaron Douglas?
- Early Life
- Harlem Renaissance, Paintings and Art
- Later Career
- Death and Legacy
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Aaron Douglas was an African American painter and graphic artist who played a leading role in the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s and 1930s. His first major commission, to illustrate Alain LeRoy Locke's book, The New Negro, prompted requests for graphics from other Harlem Renaissance writers. By 1939, Douglas started teaching at Fisk University, wh...
Born in Topeka, Kansas, Aaron Douglas was a leading figure in the artistic and literary movement known as the Harlem Renaissance. He is sometimes referred to as "the father of Black American art." Douglas developed an interest in art early on, finding some of his inspiration from his mother's love for painting watercolors. After graduating from Top...
Arriving in 1925, Douglas quickly became immersed Harlem's cultural life. He contributed illustrations to Opportunity, the National Urban League's magazine, and to The Crisis, put out by the National Association for the Advancement Colored People. Douglas created powerful images of African American life and struggles and won awards for the work he ...
In the late 1930s, Douglas returned to Fisk University, this time as an assistant professor, and founded the school's art department. Taking his educational responsibilities quite seriously, he enrolled at Columbia University's Teachers College in 1941 and spent three years earning a master's degree in art education. He also established the Carl Va...
In his later years, Douglas received countless honors. In 1963, he was invited by President John F. Kennedyto attend a celebration of the centennial of the Emancipation Proclamation, held at the White House. He also earned an honorary doctorate from Fisk University in 1973, seven years after his retirement from the school. He remained an active pai...
Learn about Aaron Douglas, an African American painter and graphic artist who played a leading role in the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s and 1930s. Explore his artistic style, influences, murals, teaching career and legacy.
Learn about Aaron Douglas, a leader of the Harlem Renaissance who combined modern art and African culture in his work. Explore his paintings, illustrations, murals, and quotes that celebrate and challenge the African-American experience.
- African-American
- May 26, 1899
- Topeka, Kansas
- February 2, 1979
Aaron Douglas (May 26, 1899 – February 2, 1979 [1]) was an American painter, illustrator, and visual arts educator. He was a major figure in the Harlem Renaissance. [2] He developed his art career painting murals and creating illustrations that addressed social issues around race and segregation in the United States by utilizing African ...
- May 26, 1899, Topeka, Kansas
- Harlem Renaissance
- February 2, 1979 (aged 79), Nashville, Tennessee
- American
Apr 24, 2024 · Aaron Douglas was an American painter and graphic artist who played a leading role in the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s. After receiving a bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska in 1922, Douglas returned briefly to his native Kansas to teach art. By 1925 he had moved to New York City,
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Learn about the life and work of Aaron Douglas, one of the most influential visual artists of the Harlem Renaissance. Explore his paintings, murals, and illustrations that drew on African art, cubism, and art deco.
Aaron Douglas was an American painter, illustrator and visual arts educator. He was a major figure in the Harlem Renaissance. He developed his art career painting murals and creating illustrations that addressed social issues around race and segregation in the United States by utilizing African-centric imagery.
