John Brown’s first thought of the place where he would make his attack came to him while surveying land for Oberlin College in West Virginia, 1840., Jacob Lawrence; Ives-Sillman, Inc.; Founders Society of the Detroit Institute of Arts; Sirocco Screenprinters

Artwork Overview

1917–2000
1958–1978
founded 1950
John Brown’s first thought of the place where he would make his attack came to him while surveying land for Oberlin College in West Virginia, 1840., 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): 356 x 510 mm
Image Dimensions Height/Width (Height x Width): 14 1/2 x 20 1/16 in
Sheet/Paper Dimensions (Height x Width): 510 x 657 mm
Sheet/Paper Dimensions (Height x Width): 20 1/16 x 25 7/8 in
Frame Dimensions (Height x Width x Depth): 24 1/4 x 32 1/4 x 1 in
Credit line: Museum purchase: Gift of Jeff and Mary Weinberg
Accession number: 2020.0068.09
Not on display

If you wish to reproduce this image, please submit an image request

Images

Label texts

Jacob Lawrence and The Legend of John Brown
While surveying land Oberlin College owned in Virginia (present-day West Virginia), Brown began planning to hide a militia in mountainous areas and launch guerrilla attacks to free enslaved persons from nearby plantations.

Exhibitions