Aaron Douglas
| Aaron Douglas | |
|---|---|
Aaron Douglas
|
|
| Born |
May 26, 1899 Topeka, Kansas |
| Died | February 2, 1979 (aged 79) Nashville, Tennessee |
| Nationality | American |
| Education |
University of Nebraska, University of Kansas |
| Known for | Painting, Illustration |
| Notable work | “Let My People Go” (1935–39) |
| Style | Jazz Age, Modernism, Art Deco |
| Movement | Harlem Renaissance |
Aaron Douglas (May 26, 1899 – February 2, 1979) was an African-American painter, illustrator and arts educator. He was a major figure in the Harlem Renaissance.
Aaron Douglas was born in Topeka, Kansas, to Aaron and Elizabeth Douglas. He developed an interest in art during his childhood and was encouraged in his pursuits by his mother. Douglas graduated from Topeka High School in 1917.
Douglas received a B.F.A. from the University of Nebraska in 1922 and a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Kansas the next year.
Commenting on his days at the University of Nebraska, where he won a prize for drawing, he recalled: "I was the only black student there. Because I was sturdy and friendly, I became popular with both faculty and students." His ability to get along notwithstanding, Douglas longed to draw from an undraped model and felt constrained by the "Victorian attitudes" that prevented the school from using nudes in the classroom.
In 1925, Douglas moved to New York City, settling in Harlem. Just a few months after his arrival he began to produce illustrations for both The Crisis and Opportunity, the two most important magazines associated with the Harlem Renaissance.
He also began studying with Winold Reiss, a German artist who had been hired by Alain Locke to illustrate The New Negro. Reiss' teaching helped Douglas develop the modernist style he would employ for the next decade. Douglas’ engagement with African and Egyptian design brought him to the attention of W. E. B. Du Bois and Dr. Locke, who were pressing for young African-American artists to express their African heritage and African-American folk culture in their art.
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