Jacob Lawrence

Jacob Lawrence's paintings contain striking images and maximize the power of color.  Lawrence lived during the 20th century, but his work in the collection "Struggle" depicts a fresh and hard-hitting perspective on United States history between the Boston Massacre and the War of 1812.  These egg tempera paintings would be great additions to any lesson about this period, and a combination of his paintings with relevant historical texts will spark conversations about the way we understand and interpret history.  Check out this article from The Washington Post as you consider how you can incorporate Lawrence's paintings into your American literature or AP English Language courses in particular.  If you're willing, please share the kinds of written responses you might ask your students to complete?

These ‘missing’ Jacob Lawrence paintings are finally in a museum — and they’re masterpieces