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Jacob Lawrence
A Life Painted in Story: The World of Jacob Lawrence Jacob Armstead Lawrence, born in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in 1917, emerged as one of the most significant American artists of the 20th century. His life story is intrinsically woven into his art—a powerful narrative shaped by the realities of being African-American during a period of profound social change. Following his parents’ divorce in 1924, Lawrence experienced a childhood marked by movement and adaptation, spending time in foster care in Philadelphia before ultimately finding a home with his mother in Harlem during the vibrant yea…
The Subject Atlas
A chart of Jacob Lawrence's corpus mapped not by date but by subject. Spokes are what they painted; rings are when; and the threads between stars reveal the patrons and places that secretly connect them.
Spokes — Subject
Each arm of the atlas gathers works by what they depict: portraits, sacred scenes, mythologies, and the scientific studies. Click a spoke to swing that cluster to the top.
Rings — Career Period
Distance from the center marks time. The innermost ring is the earliest period; the outermost, the final years. Style matures as you move outward.
Threads — Shared Context
Coloured lines link works bound by the same patron, commission, or theme. Trace a context to watch related clusters light up across subjects.
