People In Other Rooms

Artist Jacob Lawrence (American, 1917-2000)

Date1975

DimensionsOverall: 24 1/2 x 18 1/2 in. (62.2 x 47 cm)

MediumScreenprint

ClassificationPrints

Credit LineGift of Mrs. James J. Rorimer

Object number

1977.2

Not on View

Label TextJacob Lawrence moved to Harlem, New York with his family in 1930 when he was 13 years old. The vibrant neighborhood was in the waning years of the Harlem Renaissance, a fertile period for African American art, literature, music, and culture. Lawrence’s art was inspired by and often depicted the people, sights, sounds, and bustling daily life of Harlem, even after he moved to the Pacific Northwest in 1970. People in Other Rooms captures the experience of living in close quarters in a crowded city, with glimpses of other people’s lives playing out around you. Lawrence explained, “I grew up in New York City. I guess when you grow up in a city you become familiar with doorways and windows and looking through windows. I like the architectonic, geometric shapes of these things. I use these forms over and over again. I don’t have any symbolism for them. I imagine that much of our symbolism comes from our experience. Had I been born in the country maybe I would use a different kind of form.”