Jacob Lawrence Brownstones Essay

657 Words2 Pages

Jacob Lawrence’s’ painting, Brownstones, is a very energetic painting. This painting consists of children doing several activities such as jump roping, playing with a ball, walking their dog, and just chatting. There are a total of ten adults that is portrayed the painting; one couple is walking together closely showing the love they have for each other, another couple pushes their baby carriage, one lady is carrying her groceries to her place of living, and seven adults seat on the seat either enjoying a conversation or receiving fresh air. “Other couples and paired figures appear throughout the image” (“Jacob Lawrence: Exploring Stories”). “Lawrence also offered multiple views into the brownstone's open windows” (“"Brownstones" by Jacob Lawrence”). There …show more content…

The middle is the couple pushing their child and they are surrounded my much activity as they walk in the neighborhood. One of the girls that are jumping rope has her back towards the viewer with the thin but extra-long lines of rope they jump through. Lawrence use sharp and round lines throughout the painting to indicate the shapes that are seen in everyday life a Harlem resident. The lines also represent the movement of each of the people shown. Shadows created depth that is splattered across the painting and also how each of the people in the painting is positioned gave a realistic type of feeling to the painting. The showdowns provided in the painting also give off the time of the day those activities such like these could have been happening. Lawrence used repetition and patterns to create the rhythm of this city scene (“Jacob Lawrence: Exploring Stories”). The repetition and patterning in the painting tells how the activity is daily not only that particular day. The use of complementary colors which was both primary (yellow, blue, and red) and secondary (green and orange) brought the life to the painting. The colors or hues made negative spaces

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