Windows 1977

Jacob Lawrence made this tempera painting, "Windows," sometime during his career, and what strikes me is how he flattens everything into these bold, geometric shapes. Look at how the colors butt up against each other, creating this vibrant energy. It’s not about blending or shading, but more about a direct, almost confrontational use of color. The red dress, the blue overalls – they’re not trying to be realistic, they’re trying to be felt. The texture looks so smooth, the way the paint seems to just sit on the surface is really pleasing. It’s like Lawrence is saying, "Here are the colors, here are the shapes, now you figure out the story." There’s a connection here for me with someone like Romare Bearden, in how he captured the Black experience with such visual power. Lawrence reminds us that art doesn't have to be complicated to be meaningful; it just has to be true.