The Ascent of Ethiopia
November 4, 2009
Murial
The Ascent of Ethiopia
The Ascent of Ethiopia, 1932, was painted by Lois Mailou Jones. She was an African-American painter during the Harlem Renaissance.
Dr. Jones has once commented that her contribution to the arts was a “proof of the talent of black artists. The African-American artist is important in the history of art and I have demonstrated it by working and painting here and all over the world.”
At first glance, I liked this painting because the colors are eye-catching and and to me it’s funky and fun. I also liked how the painting doesn’t just represent paintings, but also both theatre and music.
BUT that is not all this painting is about. This painting actually has a very deep meaning behind it. This painting represents “PRIDE.” Pride of the African-Americans’ accomplishments and achievements of having to make sacrifices in order to make it through the harsh society and life.
Not only did Dr. Jones influence the Harlem Renaissance, but her paintings were empowering to many African-American.
Sources used were…
- Wikipedia
- negroartist.com
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1.
whitegirl907 |
November 6, 2009 at 6:34 pm
You related the painting to it’s connection with African American values very well and the influence on it, however I would have liked to see a little more reflection and detail about the work. Such as where it was painted and a little more about the artists. It is pretty incredible the way that African Americans rose so far in just a short period of time and the influence they had on the arts at this time. Why do you think that they had such a profound influence on the arts at this time?
2.
sflippo |
November 10, 2009 at 1:20 am
I personally was not fond of this painting, however, i found the symbolism behind it to be very interesting. I like how you were able to decipher the representation of “pride” from the artwork, i would have taken one glance at the picture and not given it any thought. Although, as i looked at it more i realized all the little symbolisms and meanings that were ever so clear in the painting. It is amazing how the artist also took into account all the “milestones” or journeys of African Americans into the painting. It may appear boring to me, but there is actually a lot of thought and time put into the painting. You opened my eyes up to a different type of art which i had not given much attention towards prior. Good Job.
3.
britrussellak |
March 15, 2010 at 9:17 pm
This isn’t the type of art that generally appeals to me, but I’, glad to see a work of art from the Harlem Renaissance. I hadn’t really heard of it before, and your post gives me more an insight to the mindset of an artist during that time. Were the works of art very popular?