American, 1917–2000
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South African Gold Miners
gouache on paper, 1946
26 1/2 x 27 1/2 inches
Flint Institute of Arts purchase with a grant from the Harvey J. Mallery Charitable Trust, 1991.23
gouache on paper, 1946
26 1/2 x 27 1/2 inches
Flint Institute of Arts purchase with a grant from the Harvey J. Mallery Charitable Trust, 1991.23
artist info
In 1937, Jacob Lawrence began to create visual stories based on African-American history, the subjects of which have included those about civil rights, racism, the rights of the worker, and poverty in America. Flat shapes, sharp angles, slashing diagonals, and tilted perspective are elements that characterize his unique style in expressing his strong feelings.
In 1946, Fortune magazine commissioned Lawrence to make two illustrations for its October cover story, an article on mining in South Africa. The miners' strike of that year brought attention to the plight of South African migrant workers, who labored in unsafe conditions for low wages. In South African Gold Mines, five men wield pick axes and shovels against the background of hills, mineshafts, and railroad tracks. The flat planes and bold colors of the background create an abstract pattern of shapes that suggests the steep perspective of hills, while also functioning as a two-dimensional ground upon which the figures stand. In this composition, and in all his work, Lawrence treats his subjects with the utmost respect and imbues them with a monumental dignity.
In 1946, Fortune magazine commissioned Lawrence to make two illustrations for its October cover story, an article on mining in South Africa. The miners' strike of that year brought attention to the plight of South African migrant workers, who labored in unsafe conditions for low wages. In South African Gold Mines, five men wield pick axes and shovels against the background of hills, mineshafts, and railroad tracks. The flat planes and bold colors of the background create an abstract pattern of shapes that suggests the steep perspective of hills, while also functioning as a two-dimensional ground upon which the figures stand. In this composition, and in all his work, Lawrence treats his subjects with the utmost respect and imbues them with a monumental dignity.
