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The Migration of the Negro, Panel no. 49The Migration of the Negro, Panel no. 49 © The Phillips Collection, Washington, DC © 2013 The Jacob and Gwendolyn Lawrence Foundation, Seattle/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

The Migration of the Negro, Panel no. 49

Jacob Lawrence. 1940–1941 C.E. Casein tempera on hardboard.

Curator Note

"Panel 49 from a 60-panel series documenting the Great Migration of African Americans from the South to the North. This panel depicts a segregated dining room in the North, shattering the illusion that racism was only a Southern problem. Lawrence used a stark, jagged style ("Dynamic Cubism") to convey the struggle and rhythm of the migration."

Form

  • Synthetic Cubism/Social Realism.
  • Flat, geometric shapes.
  • Limited color palette (used across all 60 panels for unity).
  • Bird's eye perspective.
  • Yellow rope creates a stark visual barrier.

Function

  • To document the history of the Great Migration.
  • To critique racism in the North.
  • To tell a collective narrative (not individual).
  • To educate.
  • To create a visual ballad or blues song.

Content

  • Whites on left (faceless, aloof, better food?).
  • Blacks on right (faceless, separate).
  • The golden barrier: separation is zigzag, aggressive.
  • Matte finish (tempera) looks gritty.
  • Caption: "They found discrimination in the North also."

Context

  • Lawrence was part of the Harlem Renaissance.
  • Parents were migrants.
  • First African American to have a show at MoMA.
  • Painted all panels simultaneously color by color.
  • Reflects the disappointments of the North.