Picturing America: Jacob Lawrence and Martin Puryear
Jacob Lawrence (1917–2000), The Migration of the Negro Panel no. 57, 1940–1941. Casein tempera on hardboard, 18 x 12 in. (45.72 x 30.48 cm.). Acquired 1942.
Both Jacob Lawrence's "The Migration of the Negro" and Martin Puryear's "Ladder for Booker T. Washington" represent facets of African American history. Lawrence's print of a woman washing clothing is part of a series portraying the Great Migration of African Americans from the Jim Crow South to the northern and western United States in pursuit of a better life. Puryear's sculpture, while its title references an individual, similarly speaks to shared experiences of long and protracted struggle for dignity and justice.
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Access the Picturing America lesson plans for Lawrence and Puryear.
Classroom Connections
Comprehension Questions
- Why is Jacob Lawrence significant to American art?
- How do work and labor figure in Lawrence's work?
- What kinds of progression does Puryear's ladder illustrate?
EDSITEment Resources
EDSITEment has lesson plans for each work of art: Jacob Lawrence's Migration Series: Removing the Mask (grades 6-8) and Martin Puryear's Ladder for Booker T. Washington (grades 9-12).
EDSITEment has also created this Teacher's Guide for African American History and Culture, which compiles a wide array of lesson plans, curricula, and other resources for teaching and learning African American history in the United States.