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Aaron Douglas 

Aaron Douglas is commonly known as one of the most prominent artists of the Harlem Renaissance, an African American art movement of the 1920s that took place in Harlem, New York, and focused on the cultural revival of all forms of African American art. Aaron Douglas has also been nicknamed “The Father of African American Art”.1 His unique artistic style of African-centric imagery through geometric abstraction, inspired by modern cubism, has left a lasting impact on African Americans as he was able to produce a powerful visual legacy of the Harlem Renaissance, and called importance to racism.2 Through the analysis of two of the four murals from Aspects of a Negro Life, I will examine and analyze the lasting cultural impact of Aaron Douglas. Douglas changed the way other artists regard African American art, and pushed for racial equality, vividly demonstrating this through powerful African imagery.  

Aaron Douglas was born on May 26, 1899, in Topeka, Kansas. At an early age, Douglas took a liking to art through his mother’s inspiration. His mother, Elizabeth, enjoyed drawing and painting using watercolors. His parents instilled in him the importance of education, but after graduating high school in 1917, he could not afford college tuition. Instead, he worked briefly in Detroit at the Cadillac plant, where he recalled that he was the target of much racial discrimination, and given the most gruesome work compared to his white counterparts. He never gave up on his artistic dreams and took night classes at the Detroit Museum of Art.3 When he saved up enough money to put himself through college, he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Nebraska in 1922.4  

After graduating from college, Douglas spent two years teaching art at Lincoln High School in Kansas City, Missouri, being one of two Black teachers in the school. He had dreams of moving to Paris to pursue an art career, but instead moved to Harlem, New York, in 1925.5 It didn’t take him long to become fully immersed in the rich Black art culture of Harlem, and he explained that “There are so many things that I had seen for the first time, so many impressions I was getting. One was that of seeing a big city that was entirely black, from beginning to end you were impressed by the fact that black people were in charge of things and here was a black city, and here was a situation that was eventually to be the center for the great in American Culture.”6 

Shortly after Douglas’ arrival in Harlem, he was awarded a two-year scholarship to study with Winold Reiss, a German illustrator. This marked a turning point in Douglas’ art career, as he drew inspiration from Reiss’ works in which he challenged racial stereotypes by depicting Native Americans, Asian Americans, and African Americans in idealized portraits. Reiss also encouraged Douglas to look at his African heritage and draw inspiration for his art. It was at this time that Douglas began to develop his signature artistic style and began commissioning illustrations for the National Urban League's magazine, The Crisis, and the NAACP's magazine Opportunity.7 He began gaining confidence, recognition, and winning awards. The philosopher, Alain Leroy Locke, commissioned Douglas to illustrate for his new book, The New Negro (1925).8 This book was highly successful as Locke introduced the American people to the essence of the Harlem Renaissance, and the influential artists of the movement. The success of this book helped to popularize Aaron Douglas’ works. Douglas continued to commission illustrations for famous magazines and other writers.9 

During the 1930s, Douglas's career began to gain momentum as he became a prominent member of the Harlem Renaissance. In 1930, Douglas was commissioned to paint a set of murals for the Cravath Memorial Library, during his time as an artist in residence at Fisk University in Nashville. He then traveled to Paris and studied at the Académie Scandinave, where he befriended two highly successful French artists, sculptor Charles Despiau and Fauvist painter Othon Friesz. He returned to New York in 1932, and in 1935 he became the first president of the Harlem Artists Guild. The Harlem Artists Guild focused on uplifting African American artists by promoting their works that dealt with issues of racism. Not only was he working on other projects during this time, but Douglas was also being commissioned to create a set of four murals titled Aspects of Negro Life. These four murals really set Douglas apart from other artists at the time, as he developed his signature artistic style.  

These four murals, Aspects of Negro Life, is often known as Douglas’ most impactful contribution. Depicted throughout these murals is the story of Black America; beginning in Africa, then illustrations of slavery, emancipation, and finally the emergence of African cultural traditions in America during the Harlem Renaissance. The third mural in this series, Aspects of a Negro Life: From Slavery Through Reconstruction, is arguably the most influential out of the four pieces as it depicts Black life from slavery through reconstruction, hence the title.  



Aaron Douglas, Aspects of Negro Life: From Slavery Through Reconstruction, 1934. 

When examining the mural, it is hard not to be captivated by the man standing in the middle, pointing at something in the distance and holding a document of some sort in his left hand. This document is believed to be a ballot, which demonstrates encouragement to his fellow Black Americans to cast their votes. He appears to be pointing at a Capitol building, as soldiers march in the distance. There is something powerful to be said about the way that Douglas portrays this strong African American leader in the center, with men crouching around him. This serves as a symbol of democracy with the unification of the strong Black men, all representing a universal identity of Blackness in America.10 Douglas utilizes his artistic style by drawing attention to symbolic aspects of this painting by shining a light specifically around the ballot that the man in the middle is holding. All his paintings have a similar spotlight effect, which represents a light shining through, omnipotently.  

Following through to the right side of this mural, you will notice the use of the spotlight technique once again. The spotlight shines on another document, this one representing the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863, which freed the slaves leading into the Reconstruction era. He draws attention to this, representing the importance of freeing the slaves. Soldiers march in the distance, as silhouettes of men hold up their hands. You might also notice a trumpet, which was a prominent instrument of the Harlem Renaissance as Black musicians popularized jazz and Blues music. The trumpet serves as a symbol of Black identity.11  

The left side of this mural depicts Kluk Klux Klan members representing white supremacy. White supremacy is the belief that white people are the superior race, therefore degrading and dehumanizing any other race, in this case African Americans. You will notice a KKK member identified with a white hood, riding a horse. This is Douglas’ way of depicting Union soldiers versus Confederate soldiers. The Union soldiers are marching away in the distance. I appreciate the way Douglas utilizes different shades of colors to not overshadow Black identity with the disgraceful past of white supremacy in this country.  

Next, we will examine the fourth mural in this series, Aspects of Negro Life: Song of the Towers. Revisiting the symbolism of the trumpet, Douglas shows through this mural the influence that jazz music had on the Harlem Renaissance. Jazz music is one of the great contributions to the arts that Black people popularized throughout this time. Again, Douglas shines a spotlight on the center of the painting, specifically the trumpet. Not only is this a spotlight, but it could also represent the soundwaves from the trumpet, showing how far African American culture spread throughout the world. There are monster-like tentacles surrounding the trumpet-playing man, representing the challenges that hold African Americans back, such as racism, threats of labor, and industrialization.12 Off in the distance stands the Statue of Liberty, symbolizing the American dream.  

Aaron Douglas, Aspects of Negro Life: Song of the Towers, 1934. 

The Harlem Renaissance was originally named “The New Negro Movement” by anthropologist Alain Locke, also known as the man who led the Harlem Renaissance. Locke explained the movement by writing, “Negro life is seizing its first chances for group expression and self-determination.”13 The movement gave African Americans the chance to finally reinvent their identity in America, and take charge of their own lives. The Harlem Renaissance centered around the focus of displaying racial pride, racial equality, and the celebration of African culture through creative expression. This was one of the most influential African American movements, where African Americans reclaimed their history, heritage, and culture, and turned it into a celebration of cultural awakening. After decades of slavery, racism, discrimination, and stereotypes, the Harlem Renaissance served as an important movement that humanized, as well as displayed Black culture and Black individuality of an otherwise marginalized identity. Although this movement obviously did not put an end to racism, as it still prominently exists today, it redefined how people viewed African Americans and recognized their achievements. African Americans were previously seen as uneducated due to harmful white stereotypes, however through their achievements of the Harlem Renaissance, they were able to show that they are just as educated, wise, talented, and capable as anyone else. 14 

Through the analyzation of two of Aaron Douglas’ most influential pieces of work, we can see the impact that his art had on the world. He highlighted the African American identity with regards to the American dream. Douglas passed away at the age of 80 in 1979, after living a life of considerable influence and a multitude of achievements. Douglas is the true symbol of the American dream—when the land of equal opportunity proved to be inherently unequal, Douglas rose above all challenges and made a name for himself, representing the Black community as a true leader and hero.