Harriet Tubman Series (Panel #4) 1940

Jacob Lawrence created this panel, number four of his Harriet Tubman Series, with tempera on hardboard. The series presents the heroic story of the “Moses of her people” and the Underground Railroad that led enslaved African Americans to freedom. Here, we see a group of figures leaping acrobatically, their limbs splayed against a cool, uncertain sky. Lawrence, who was born in 1917 and came of age during the Great Depression, was a product of the Harlem Renaissance and was committed to documenting African American history, struggles, and triumphs. His aesthetic was influenced by Mexican muralists and Russian Constructivism. This panel, like others in the series, avoids sentimentalism and glorification. Instead, the flat shapes and limited color palette direct our attention to the stark realities of escaping enslavement. The artist's choices reflect a broader social context, particularly the desire to represent historical narratives from the perspective of those who lived them. Lawrence reminds us that the meaning of art is deeply connected to its social and historical context. By consulting historical records, personal narratives, and scholarly analysis, we can deepen our understanding of this piece, and of the cultural forces that shaped it.