They live In fire traps

Artist Jacob Lawrence (American, 1917–2000)

Date1943

Mediumopaque watercolor over graphite on medium thick, textured, off-white wove paper

Dimensionssheet: 57.7 × 39.4 cm (22 11/16 × 15 1/2 in.)

ClassificationsDrawings

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Terms

Object number1943.14

Label TextA visionary social realist and activist, Lawrence completed his acclaimed 60-work Migration Series in 1941, which traced stories of southern Black families finding their way to often unwelcoming northern cities. On its heels, he created a group of works documenting living conditions in Harlem, the migrants’ newly adopted home. The titles are brief and often underscore racial inequity: This is Harlem., Most of the people are very poor., They live in old and dirty tenement houses., and WAM’s They live in fire traps. Watercolor and egg tempera were Lawrence’s preferred media. Unlike oil paints, opaque watercolors dry quickly and support a vibrant palette with a flat finish.ProvenanceDowntown Gallery, New York

On View

Not on view