Funeral Sermon
Jacob Lawrence
Brooklyn Museum photograph
Object Label
Displaying the abstracted design elements and vibrant colors that characterize Jacob Lawrence’s style, Funeral Sermon commemorates the death of his sister from tuberculosis in 1944. An expression of personal grief, this work also addresses larger social issues, including the importance of spirituality in the black community and the overcrowded housing and inadequate health-care facilities in Harlem that led to disease and untimely death.
Caption
Jacob Lawrence (American, 1917–2000). Funeral Sermon, 1946. Watercolor and graphite with some varnish on heavy, textured wove paper, Sheet: 29 3/8 x 21 1/8 in. (74.6 x 53.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Anonymous gift, 48.24. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Artist
Title
Funeral Sermon
Date
1946
Medium
Watercolor and graphite with some varnish on heavy, textured wove paper
Classification
Dimensions
Sheet: 29 3/8 x 21 1/8 in. (74.6 x 53.7 cm)
Signatures
Signed lower right: "Jacob Lawrence 1946 ©"
Credit Line
Anonymous gift
Accession Number
48.24
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