Let My People Go 1939

Aaron Douglas made this painting, Let My People Go, with oil on Masonite. What strikes me is how Douglas builds up the image in layers, like stacked theatrical flats. The color palette, mainly lavender, olive and ochre, gives the painting a somber feel that really brings out the subject matter. I love how the figures are all silhouettes, adding to the drama. Look at the man kneeling in the lower right corner, arms outstretched, bathed in a beam of light. There’s a beautiful and subtle gradation of color as it hits his form. Douglas makes visible the story of the Exodus in a way that feels ancient and yet so very contemporary. It makes me think of Jacob Lawrence, who also found a way to address historical events with such fresh and original vision. These works aren’t just pictures, they’re conversations.