Today's post features the printmaker Jacob Lawrence's series of silk screens depicting Toussaint L’Ouverture, the mastermind behind the Haitian Revolution.
Jacob Lawrence (1917-2000), is more well known than many of the other printmakers recently featured by Athraigh Studios. We might know his prints in general but let’s take a specific look at his brilliant series, the “Toussaint L'Ouverture.”
Content first: Jacob Lawrence is depicting Toussaint L’Ouverture the mastermind behind the Haitian Revolution. In the last years of the 1700’s Toussaint L’Ouverture won independence from Europe, defeated Napoleon’s army, and brought Haiti out of slavery. In 1804, after the people who were then referred to as “slaves” won their freedom by force, Haiti became the first black republic in the West.
Form: In 1936, at the age of 21, Jacob Lawrence created 41 paintings of the life of L’Ouverture. In 1986, Lawrence produced 15 silk screens inspired by the original paintings.
I’ve included only 3 images from the series for today’s presentation but I encourage you two go to the following link to see the entire series, including a description written by Lawrence of each print.
https://www.davidsongalleries.com/artists/modern/jacob-lawrence/toussaint-louverture/
Strategy
Silk screen on Rising two ply rag paper, 1994
Deception
General Toussaint L'Ouverture
Silk screen on Bainbridge two ply rag paper, 1986
To Preserve Their Freedom
Silk screen on Bainbridge two ply rag paper, 1988
Please check out the video of the exhibition:
