Jacob Lawrence conceived of his 60-part epic The Migration Series (1940–41) as a single artwork. He even painted them simultaneously, color by color, to ensure visual unity. These vivid depictions of the post–World War I migration of over 1 million Black Americans from the rural South to the industrial North present racial injustice, societal conflict, hope, and beauty. With captions written by the artist, the series is a pictorial narrative that reminds us of our shared history and invites us to reflect on the universal theme of struggle.
The Migration Series was jointly acquired in 1942, with the even-numbered panels going to The Museum of Modern Art, New York, and the odd-numbered panels going to the Phillips.This focused presentation of the series is inspired by The Phillips Collection’s pioneering practice of devoting a gallery to the work of a single artist.
The Denver Art Museum presentation includes four of the panels.
Out of the struggle came a kind of power and even beauty. ‘And the migrants kept coming’ is a refrain of triumph over adversity. If it rings true for you today, then it must still strike a chord in our American experience.
Jacob Lawrence
American, 1917–2000
The Migration Series, Panel no. 51: African Americans seeking to find better housing attempted to move into new areas. This resulted in the bombing of their new homes
1940–41
Casein paint on hardboard
The Phillips Collection
Acquired 1942
© 2023 The Jacob and Gwendolyn Knight Lawrence Foundation, Seattle / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
All Stars: American Artists from The Phillips Collection is organized by The Phillips Collection in collaboration with the Denver Art Museum.
Support is provided by the Tom Taplin Jr. and Ted Taplin Endowment, the Birnbaum Social Discourse Project, Ellen and Morris Susman, Lisë Gander and Andy Main, Mike Leprino Family Foundation, the Kristin and Charles Lohmiller Exhibitions Fund, the donors to the Annual Fund Leadership Campaign, and the residents who support the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD). This exhibition is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities. Promotional support is provided by 5280 Magazine and CBS Colorado.
