Jacob Lawrence (American, 1917–2000). Struggle Series – No. 10: Washington Crossing the Delaware (detail), 1954. Egg tempera on hardboard, 12 x 16 in. (30.5 x 40.6 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Lila Acheson Wallace Gift, 2003 (2003.414). © 2019 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
‘Jacob Lawrence: American Struggle’ at the Met Opening June 2, 2020 at The Met Fifth Avenue, ‘Jacob Lawrence: The American Struggle’ presents a striking and little-known series of paintings by the esteemed American modernist Jacob Lawrence titled ‘Struggle… From the History of the American People (1954–56)’. June 2 – September 7, 2020.]]>
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art
The exhibition marks the first time in more than half a century that the powerful multi-paneled series is being reunited. The series reveals the artist’s prescient visual reckoning with the nation’s complex history through iconic and folkloric narratives.
Lawrence conceived “Struggle” as 60 tempera-on-board paintings, 12 by 16 inches, spanning subjects from the American Revolution to World War I. As he expressed it in a grant application, he intended to depict “the struggles of a people to create a nation and their attempt to build a democracy.” In the end, Lawrence completed 30 panels—26 of which are extant today, including “No. 10: Washington Crossing the Delaware”, now in The Met collection—representing historical moments from 1775 through 1817. In their dynamic compositional design and vivid color scheme, the works rank among the artist’s most sophisticated, reflecting the assuredness of a mature painter and intellect.
“Jacob Lawrence: The American Struggle” presents the artist’s reinterpretation and reimagining of key moments in the American Revolution and the early decades of the republic. This compelling and rarely seen body of work incorporates quotations that emphasize America’s early fight for independence and expansionism as well as the oft-overlooked contributions of women and people of color. Lawrence painted “Struggle” at the height of the Cold War and Joseph McCarthy’s “Red Scare,” when the Civil Rights movement was also nascent, and the events of this transformative period deeply informed the artist’s approach to the historical subjects. Lawrence’s more inclusive representation of the nation’s past is no less relevant today; amid ongoing issues and debates regarding race and national identity, it resonates profoundly.
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