Oil painting -> List of Painters -> Aaron Douglas

Early days: Aaron Douglas, the “Father of African-American art” was a famous U.S. painter and a main figure in the Harlem Renaissance(May 26, 1900 – February 3, 1979).He was a native of Topeka, Kansas,USA.Douglas graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1922.In 1928-29, he pursued his studies in Paris by obtaining  a grant from the Barnes Foundation.In 1937, he shifted to Nashville,Tennessee, where he founded the Art Department at Fisk University and taught for 29 years.

Career:

Douglas was well-known for his abstract, 2-dimensional black and white painting.Douglas converted figures of conventional African styles into geometric objects.Human figures were painted by him  which were  symbols of all African Americans with the intention of making people recognize their spiritual identity.
Aaron Douglas’ art depicted the ‘New Negro’ philosophy.

He painted murals for several public buildings as well as created illustration,cover designs for numerous black publications such as “The Crisis" and "Opportunity.” God’s Trombones was his most famous  illustrations.His artistic views have a lasting impression and influence on artistic themes of African American heritage and racial pride.His imaginative views have a eternal impression and power on artistic themes of African American heritage and racial pride.

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