Chapter 27 / From Slavery Through Reconstruction

Aaron Douglas / 1934

The Harlem Renaissance movement emerged in the 1920s and lasted throughout the mid 1930s. This was a literary, artistic, and intellectual movement centered around the Black experience. Alain Locke described the movement, saying "negro life is seizing its first chances for group expression and self determination". Harlem became a central focus for this movement. The movement was not a political movement, as some think it was. It was simply a chance for the negro community to finally express themselves as individuals, and any political heat that resonated from the movement was secondary to its aesthetics. The movement was, as Langston Hughes put it, the "expression of out individual dark-skilled selves."

Aaron Douglas was an african-american painter and a major part of this movement. He was born in Topeka, Kansas, and was encouraged by his mother to pursue art. His paintings were influenced by the African culture he painted for, and he has even been referred to as the "Father of African American Arts". Throughout his life, Douglas sought out opportunities to expand and increase his knowledge about art. From 1928-1929 he studied African and Modern European art at the Barned Foundation in Merion, and in 1931 he traveled to Paris to study more traditional French painting and drawing techniques at the Academie Scandinave.

In 1934, Douglas painted From Slavery Through Reconstruction, which now is on display in the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in New York. The painting depicts three events following the American Civil War. To the right, there is rejoicing at the news of the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed the slaves. The man in the soapbox in the center represents the success of the black man, whose voice is now being heard. In the background, the Union army leaves the South, and the Reconstruction with its anti-Black backlash follows. The painting follows a jazz theme, and the rhythm of this design can be seen in the design of the circles.

Chapter 24 / L'absinthe

Edgar Degas / 1876

Edgar degas was a French artist, most famous for his paintings, prints, and drawings. Over half of his paintings depict dancers, so he is often associated with the subject of dance. Degas is generally regarded as one of the founders of impressionism, however he didn't like the term and preferred to be called a realist. He was a master at depicting movement as well as social isolation. Although this painting doesn't show a lot of movement, the fact that is lacks movement is just as important. It is a great representation, however, of Degas' mastery of the depiction of social isolation.

In 1876, Degas created this painting to represent the effect of the drink "absinthe" on the current population. It is oil on canvas, and done in the impressionist theme. The painting shows a woman sitting at a cafe in front of a drink, and a man to her left on the right side of the painting. The woman has a very detached, glazed look in her eyes, and the man sits smoking a pipe. This painting is a social commentary on the fact that the drink absinthe was causing social isolation and negative feelings in the country. She looks very unaware of the world around her, and simply gazes sadly at her drink. The colors in the painting are also very dull, creating an even more melancholy feel. By using dull browns and little color, Degas effectively depicted the lackluster feel that absinthe left in its wake.

This painting was actually met with a lot of distaste, and was locked away for a time, until it was brought back. It has received pretty equal amounts of praise and critique. One critique called the woman a whore, adding that "the tale is not a pleasant one, but a lesson". Most art of the time was painted for beauty, but this is painted to really show and say something about society.