For forty years John Brown reflected on the hopeless and miserable conditions of the slaves.

Jacob Lawrence; Ives-Sillman, Inc.; Founders Society of the Detroit Institute of Arts; Sirocco Screenprinters, For forty years John Brown reflected on the hopeless and miserable conditions of the slaves.

Jacob Lawrence, artist

1917–2000

Ives-Sillman, Inc., designer

1958–1978

Founders Society of the Detroit Institute of Arts, publisher

founded 1919

Sirocco Screenprinters, printer

founded 1950

For forty years John Brown reflected on the hopeless and miserable conditions of the slaves., 1974–1977

Where object was made: New Haven, Connecticut, United States

Material/technique: Domestic Etching paper; screen print

Dimensions:
Image Dimensions Height/Width (Height x Width): 507 x 356 mm
Image Dimensions Height/Width (Height x Width): 19 15/16 x 14 1/2 in
Sheet/Paper Dimensions (Height x Width): 657 x 510 mm
Sheet/Paper Dimensions (Height x Width): 25 7/8 x 20 1/16 in
Frame Dimensions (Height x Width x Depth): 32 1/4 x 24 1/4 x 1 in

Credit line: Museum purchase: Gift of Jeff and Mary Weinberg

Accession number: 2020.0068.03

Not on display

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Jacob Lawrence and The Legend of John Brown

Jacob Lawrence learned about John Brown and other important figures in Black history such as Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, and Toussiant L’Ouverture while growing up in Harlem, a predominantly African-American neighborhood in New York City. The Harlem Renaissance—a flourishing of art and culture—inspired Lawrence to choose these historical figures as subjects for his art. The Legend of John Brown begins by foreshadowing Brown’s piety and martyrdom, picturing him at the feet of a crucified Jesus and then leading his family in prayer.