Untitled (The Birth)

Untitled (The Birth)

Artist	Jacob Lawrence
Year	1938
Type	Tempera on paper
Dimensions	32.70 cm × 29.53 cm (12.875 in × 11.625 in)
Location	Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis

Untitled (The Birth) is a 1938 tempera painting by American artist Jacob Lawrence, located in the Indianapolis Museum of Art, which is in Indianapolis, Indiana. Depicting a scene of childbirth in flat, geometric forms and bright colors, it is very much a product of the Harlem Renaissance.^[1]

Description

This painting shows a woman giving birth in a Harlem tenement during the Great Depression. Two men are poised to assist her, while a third departs. It is a deeply intimate portrayal of poverty, but one devoid of sentimentality, as befits Lawrence's role as an artist of Social realism. As one of the few painters of his day who grew up in a black community and was trained by black artists, Lawrence had a special affinity for scenes of everyday African American life such as this.^[2]

Historical information

1938 was a pivotal year for Lawrence. He completed his much-lauded series of 41 paintings on the life of Toussaint L’Ouverture and began a similar series on Frederick Douglass. Having turned 21, he finally managed to secure employment with the Works Progress Administration, which required him to produce paintings at the rate of one every three weeks. Throughout this, he continued to capture the scenes of Harlem in works such as this one, while putting on multiple exhibitions in the area, including a solo effort at the Harlem YMCA.^[3]

Acquisition

This painting was acquired by the IMA in 1997 from Terry Dintenfass Inc., courtesy of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Indianapolis Chapter; the Alliance of the Indianapolis Museum of Art; and the Mr. and Mrs. Richard Crane Fund. It is currently on display in the American Art gallery and has the accession number 1997.130.^[1]

References

1 2 "Untitled (The Birth)". Indianapolis Museum of Art. Retrieved 15 August 2013.
↑ Lee, Ellen Wardwell; Robinson, Anne (2005). Indianapolis Museum of Art: Highlights of the Collection. Indianapolis: Indianapolis Museum of Art. ISBN 0936260777.
↑ Nesbett, Peter; Rubin, Sydelle; Ross, Amy. "Timeline". The Jacob and Gwen Knight Lawrence Resource Center. Retrieved 16 August 2013.

External links

Artworks in the Collection of the Indianapolis Museum of Art

Significant
Artworks

African Art	Face mask Senufo female ancestor figure Magbo helmet mask for Oro society Palace plaque depicting warrior Guardian figure Healing of Abiku Children

American Painting and Sculpture to 1945	Afternoon Tea Cliff Rock--Appledore Dorothy Hotel Lobby Hurricane Jimson Weed Morning at Grand Manan Preparing for the Matinee Red Kimono on the Roof Reflections Sunlight The Boat Builders The Flight of Europa The Love Song The Rainbow Tidying Up U.S.A. Untitled (The Birth)

Asian Art	Bowl with two violet spots Cong-shaped vase Covered jar with carp design Fine Wind, Clear Morning Ksitigarbha bodhisattva Ritual wine server Shigaraki ware storage jar Vase with carved peony scrolls Vase with nine peach design

Contemporary Art	Acton Courre Merlan (Whiting Chase) Egyptian Barnyard LOVE (painting) LOVE (sculpture) The Quintet of the Silent They Waz Nice White Folks While They Lasted (Sez One Gal to Another) Untitled Untitled Untitled

Decorative Arts	Angel of the Resurrection Coffee service High chest of drawers Portland Vase Side chair

European Painting and Sculpture to 1945	Aristotle Battle Between Carnival and Lent Breton Women at a Wall Broek in Waterland Charing Cross Bridge Crucifix Crucifixion Enclosed Field with Peasant Entry of Christ into Jerusalem Entry of Christ into Jerusalem House in Provence Landscape near Arles Ma Jolie Madonna and Child with St. John the Baptist and St. Mary Magdalene Man and Woman Peasant with a Wheelbarrow Rebecca and Eliezer at the Well Roman Capriccio: The Pantheon and Other Monuments Self-Portrait Still Life with a Chinese Porcelain Jar Still Life with Profile of Laval The Banks of the Oise near Pontoise The Boy The Channel of Gravelines, Petit Fort Philippe The Country Dance The Crucifixion The Fifth Plague of Egypt The Flageolet Player on the Cliff The Flight into Egypt The Holy Family with Saint John the Baptist The House of the Deaf Woman and the Belfry at Eragny The Negress The Seamstress The Triumphant Entry of Constantine into Rome The Two Sisters The Valkhof at Nijmegen Triptych of the Annunciation Vorhor, the Green Wave

Art of the Americas	Haida ceremonial dance rattle

Oceanic Art	Helmet mask (Tatanua)

Prints, Drawings, and Photographs	Blasting St. Vincent's Rock, Clifton Boreas and Oreithyia Galinthias Outwits Eileithyia by Announcing the Birth of Heracles Mother (Mutter) Moulin Rouge: La Goulue The Holy Family with the Dragonfly Young Woman in Blue

Textile and Fashion Arts	Moroccan wall hanging Chinese Souls #2 Eli Lilly Family Quilt Evening dress Woman's apron Sumbanese woman's ceremonial skirt

Outdoor
Artworks
by Location

Museum Grounds	Above and Below La Hermana del Hombre Bóveda LOVE Memories of Prague Mother and Child Numbers 1-0 Snowplow Stumbling Man Sutphin Fountain Two Figures Two Lines Oblique Down, Variation III

Oldfields	Copy of Diana of Versailles Diana with Dog Female and Male Herm Fountain Four Seasons Landon-Era Birdbath Mother and Child (Gordine) Nymph and Fawn Sundial, Boy With Spider The Three Graces Pair of Urns

100 Acres	Bench Around the Lake Eden II Free Basket Funky Bones Indianapolis Island Park of Laments Stratum Pier Team Building (Align)

Artworks on Loan	East Gate/West Gate Mega-Gem Portrait of History Sewall Memorial Torches Spaces with Iron

De-accessioned Artworks	Broken Walrus II Holistic Image VIII Weather Tower

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