-
The Charleston Rag, Eubie Blake
"The Charleston Rag" is a piano composition by Ragtime musician Eubie Blake. The piece was composed in 1819, but was not written down to paper until 1915. You can hear a live recording where Eubie Banks retells the story of its composition here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7oQfRGUOnU -
Period: to
The Art of the Harlem Renaissance
-
Royal Garden Blues, Clarence Williams & Spencer Williams
Musical composition, 1919. "Royal Garden Blues" is one of the more popular recordings of Clarence Williams, an influential jazz composer who gained prominence during the Harlem Renaissance. He composed music for Louis Armstrong, Bessie Smith, and Irene Scruggs, among others. An orchestrated version of "Royal Garden Blues" can be listened to here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIubjb0bzqw -
Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston
Novel, 1923. Their Eyes Were Watching God is a landmark achievement in literature. It was controversial in its day, drawing some criticism from fellow Harlem Renaissance writers, but has stood the test of time. It was included in TIME Magazine's Top 100 Novels of the Twentieth Century. -
Downhearted Blues, Bessie Smith
Musical song, 1923. "Downhearted Blues" was originally written in 1922 by American musician Alberta Hunter. Bessie Smith, maybe the most famous jazz singer of the Harlem Renaissance recorded the more famous version in 1923. Smith, who was highly influential amongst her peers, died tragically in a car accident in 1937. Her version of "Downhearted Blues" can be heard here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=go6TiLIeVZA -
Fine Clothes to the Jew, Langston Hughes
Poetry collection, 1927. Langston Hughes is perhaps the best known writer of the Harlem Renaissance and one of the most revered writers of the Twentieth Century. "Fine Clothes to the Jew" is a reference to a popular saying of the day, where African Americans who were low on cash would sell their fine clothes to Jewish-owned pawn shops. -
God's Trombones, James Weldon Johnson
Poetry collection, 1927. The full title is God's Trombones: Seven Negro Sermons in Verse. Johnson was the first African-American executive secretary of the NAACP and a prolific writer. The cover art for the poetry collection was done by famed Harlem Renaissance artist, Aaron Douglas. -
Portrait of a Man, Charles Alston
Pastel on Paper. Alston was an influential Sculptor, Painter, and Muralist, who had a profound influence on the Harlem Renaissance. -
Passing, Nella Larsen
Novel, 1929. Passing is a landmark work from Nella Larsen, one of the great novelists of the Harlem Renaissance. The novel has been written about in over 200 scholarly articles, as well as over 50 dissertations. -
Gamin, Augusta Savage
Bronze, 1929. Considered Savage's most famous work, the original bust was made of plaster. After the great popularity of the work, she had raised enough money to have it cast in bronze. -
Brother Brown, Lois Mailou Jones
Watercolor on paper, 1931. Lois Jones was a prominent figure in the Harlem Renaissance. Her work spans seven decades, and she lived in Paris as an expatriate in the 1930's and 1940's. -
Blackberry Woman, Richmond Barthe
Bronze sculpture, modeled in 1930 and cast in 1932. Barthe found his greatest success during The Great Depression. He was a prolific Sculptor, even receiving an award from President Jimmy Carter in 1980 -
Aspects of Negro Life: Song of the Towers, Aaron Douglas
Oil on Canvas, 1934. One of four paintings within the larger work entitled "Aspects of Negro Life." Douglas is perhaps the most influential painter of the entire Harlem Renaissance. -
Aspects of Negro Life: From Slavery Through Reconstruction, Aaron Douglas
Oil on Canvas, 1934. One of four paintings within the larger work entitled "Aspects of Negro Life." Douglas is perhaps the most influential painter of the entire Harlem Renaissance. -
Aspects of Negro Life: An Idyll of the Deep South, Aaron Douglas
Oil on Canvas, 1934. One of four paintings within the larger work entitled "Aspects of Negro Life." Douglas is perhaps the most influential painter of the entire Harlem Renaissance. -
Aspects of Negro Life: The Negro in an African Setting, Aaron Douglas
Oil on Canvas, 1934. One of four paintings within the larger work entitled "Aspects of Negro Life." Douglas is perhaps the most influential painter of the entire Harlem Renaissance. -
Les Fetiches, Lois Malilou Jones
Oil on linen, 1938. This painting depicts five separate African masks. -
Modern Medicine, Charles Alston
Oil on Canvas, 1940. "Modern Medicine" is a mural which hangs in the Harlem Hospital Center in New York City. The painting depicts laboratory equipment, as well as prominent scientific figures of the time. Alston utilizes racial integration as a theme in this work. -
The Migration of the Negro Panel 57 Jacob Lawrence
Casein tempera on hardboard, 1940-1941. "The Migration of the Negro" is a collection of panels by Jacob Lawrence. He painted 59 in total. This panel, number 57, depicts a female worker in the south. -
Dreams No. 2, Jacob Lawrence
Tempera on fiberboard, 1965. Jacob Lawrence was frequently inspired by women, as the resting woman is surrounded by a bride in one window, and a woman holding a bouquet of flowers in another. Lawrence is best known for his Migration series.
