Dining Out

Jacob Lawrence

1937

gouache on paper

11 1/2" x 9"

Lawrence was a groundbreaking African-American artist who chronicled historical moments and everyday life in his representational painting, depicted daily happenings in Harlem where he lived and kept a studio. Lawrence portrayed both quiet moments of community and hostile incidents of exploitation as equal parts of the African-American experience during the era. He has often been commended for his attention to the human struggle for freedom and his belief that art can affect social change.

While reframing this painting for exhibition, the museum’s preparators discovered a never-before-seen sketch on the back.

Credit

Gift of the Estate of Janet Ela