The New Negro's Struggle for Identity in the Harlem Renaissance

Although many African American artists during the Harlem Renaissance sought to establish a solid identity for themselves and rediscover their cultural roots, every artist approached this goal differently. Two such artists were Aaron Douglas and Richmond Barthe. Each was a different type of visual artist, trying to find their unique artistic voice. And although there was much about Douglas and Barthe that was quite different, they were also bonded in many similarities. To understand this contrasting sameness, each artist will first be examined individually. But ultimately, the main bond between these two artists becomes the search for voice and identity through a return to the richness of their African roots.

Aaron Douglas, an African American painter of the Harlem Renaissance, was best known for his semi-abstract, hard lined paintings with an Africanist flair, a style which he developed in his young life. In 1934, a federally funded mural project brought his unique style into the public spotlight. As part of this stimulus project by the Public Works of Art Project, Douglas painted a series of murals titled "Aspects of Negro Life." In this series, which can be viewed holistically as one piece of art, we can most clearly see the strong connection Douglas built between African heritage and the "new negro."

"Aspects of Negro Life" is comprised of four panels: The Negro in an African Setting, From Slavery Through Reconstruction, An Idyll of the Deep South, and Song of the Towers. Together, they become significant because they focus on both established African history and the history in the making: the negro's continued progress. We can view it both through a topical and stylistic lens. As far as subject matter, these four pieces map the negro's history from their African roots to present day America. The African homeland is represented as a wild land of warriors and dance in the jungle. The struggle from slavery to the antebellum South is shown as still culturally rich with dancers and banjo players, but peppered with the harsh realities of the Ku Klux Klan and brutal lynchings. Finally, we see the current state of the African American: the Great Migration and fleeing from the rural farmlands to a hopeful future in the city. But even here, in the harsh, industrial atmosphere, the reverberations of African culture can be felt. The viewer's eye is drawn to the saxophonist in the center, due to the concentric circles around him. Similar attention is drawn to the main dancer of the first painting, the banjo player in the second and the preacher in the third. In this way, this figure becomes the central protagonist to the story of the African American and stays constantly connected to his ancestral roots. Stylistically, Douglas's Art Deco rhythms and Egyptian motifs are prevalent throughout. These harken back to the general African beginnings of the negro, but relay his modernism as well.