Into the Harlem Renaissance

A celebration of African American identity in the early 20th century

Into the Harlem Renaissance (1920 - 1940)

As part of our revised mission statement, we will be having two weeks of traditional Western art and two weeks of POC-focused movements. In light of BLM, we want to promote black history by focusing this week’s movement on the Harlem Renaissance.

Contrary to popular belief, the Harlem Renaissance did not only take place in New York City’s Harlem neighborhood. Though it does have its roots in this area, the movement expanded nationwide and energized American Art by introducing a different perspective on the traditionally white narrative.

Though more commonly known for its literary and performing arts, the Harlem Renaissance encompasses all aspects of creation, having a firm place in the visual arts. It broke free from the rigid confines of Victorian values and middle-class formalities which held predominately discriminatory views of African American life. The movement formally spans from the end of World War I and up to the beginning of World War II. The works of this time placed a heavy focus on having pride in one’s African American identity - bringing awareness to inequality and discrimination while showcasing aspects of their lives and culture.

It is important to note that unlike most of the movements we have covered on this page, there is no defined style for the Harlem Renaissance. It is simply a celebration of history, legacy, and identity - using their voices as vehicles for cultural and political expression.

Aaron Douglas is given the title of the “father of African American Art,” using cubism to create graphic and geometric representations on his African heritage. Other leading artists during this time are Palmer Hayden, Sargent Claude Johnson, William Johnson, and Archibald John Motley, Jr.

And that’s art.

Art Talk with Fragonard's "The Swing"

Part three: uncovering the promiscuous narrative through cheeky symbolism and historical reference

“The Swing” has such a hilarious and provocative narrative. My art history professor once told me that it had to be hidden under a red curtain and the patron selectively chose who could view the piece.

I think we, as a contemporary society, have this really knee-jerk reaction to romanticize and overdramatize historical art pieces. We think every work has a profound and almost overwhelming message hidden under all the layers of oil paint. At first glance, the painting admittedly looks nothing like what it truly means. Initially, I had no idea what it meant either - simply thinking that this was just an innocent but playful scene. It is not until you start looking at each object separately, you begin to question what is truly happening.

So, I’ll give you three seconds to look at the work for yourself and see what you believe the narrative is.

(Pause for three seconds)

Wow, kind of felt like the final Jeopardy question right? Alright, so I want you to remember this narrative that you have created in your head as we begin to examine each key object and their relationship.

When I begin to analyze a work, I always attempt to create a simple sentence from looking at it. So, for me, this is a scene depicting a girl on a swing while man is hidden in a bush and an older gentleman controls her swing.

And then, I break it down to the subjects the initially caught my eye. So let’s start off with the girl in the beautiful pink dress. She is happy, giddy, almost delirious in delight as she shamelessly kicks up her skirt and loses her shoe. Now if we take history into consideration, in the 1760s, women were still restricted in showing their form, especially the legs. Anything above the shin would have been absolutely treacherous but the central figure doesn’t seem to care. She smiles teasingly at the man below her.

The younger gentleman is dressed in a teal suit, nearly matching the bushes he is laying in. He moves to use his left arm to push away the tops of the bushes while being propped on his right arm, gaining a better view of…the woman and her skirt. He is gleeful as well, smiling brightly in a fit of shock and bliss, face flushed with a youthful glow.

Finally, there is a man that stands in the background to the right of the composition. He is behind the lady in pink and seated on the stone railing. He uses two hands to guide the ropes and control her swing, pulling backward to leverage her higher. He too wears a suit similar to the younger male in the lower left and matches the expression of the other figures.

Okay, so we have a basis of a storyline. However, let’s look further into the context clues and see what we can pick up from the various details, starting off with the statues. The statue that catches my eye the most is the large, winged figure on the left.

It is believed that Fragonard took inspiration from Etienne-Maurice Falconnet’s Seated Cupid created in 1757. Here a domineering cupid, shrouded in shadows, places a finger upon his lips while setting his gaze on the swinging woman.

The garden statues showcase two adorable cherubs, leaning on what seems to be a bee-hive. Traditionally, bee-hives represented overabundance, fertility, and, in specifically Christian art, hardworking, and diligence. One of the cherubs looks up towards the central pink figure in a look of acknowledgment.

Finally, you might just miss it if you weren’t looking, is a small white dog in the lower right corner. He is on his hind legs, using his front paws to balance himself on the garden railings. It seems as if the dog is barking at the pink figure. In most works, dogs are considered to be representations of loyalty, fidelity, and love.

So let’s pull away from the details and return to the larger picture. Was your personal narrative correct or did these subjects change your mind?

Personally, I have two narratives that always come to mind when looking at this painting:

A scandalous affair

Considering the symbols, the haughtiness of the pink lady and the younger gentleman, and the blissful ignorance of the older gentleman in the shadows - this could very well be the narrative. The woman in pink’s lover hides within the bushes to gaze up at the fruitful peep show above him. The metal railings that surround the flower bush hint that this is not a zone meant to be explored. The dog barking up against the railing could be hinting at this hidden figure, however, due to the eccentric activities, I am sure the older gentleman thinks nothing of it.

However, the only qualm I have with this storyline is the fact that the supposed patron, Baron de Saint Julien, commissioned this work to be of his beautiful mistress. It is rumored that his figure, is the one taking the reigns of the swing. If this is the case, why would he want a painting of his mistress looking at a younger man? I would make more sense if he was the younger gentleman but most historians do not think this is the case.

This brings me to option two….

Menage a trois

Yeah, you read that right. This painting is a glorified sexual innuendo. This meaning paired with the symbols of love, secrecy, and fertility set in an overabundant garden is jus undeniable. Art historians, Clive Hart and Kay Stevensoncall, believe that “The Swing” is an implication of the woman being on top. The lady in pink is able to swing freely, moving back and forth as her younger lover lifts his erotic and phallic arm.

And on top of that, swinging as its own action was seen as well…”sexy.” Art historian Jennifer Milam states that the aristocracy took up swinging to “loosen up,” allowing the swingers to enjoy a sense of vertigo while teasing viewers with a glimpse of their body often reserved for more private affairs. Their faces flush as they reach the highest peak of the swing almost like…well you know.

So yes, I truly believe that Fragonard’s “The Swing” is meant to hint at a very friendly and passionate menage a trois, especially when taking in the background of the piece.

I want to thank everyone who has joined us for this three-part mini-series so far and hope that you are safe. I know everything is very scary and turbulent during this time but please continue to take of yourself, promote kindness, and take the time to disconnect from media.

And that’s art.

Art Talk with Fragonard's "The Swing"

Part two: exploring the Fragonard's artistic wonders using the 7 elements of art

We are back for part 2 of our Art Talk for this week. We’ve learned about the history of the piece in our last Art Talk and now we are focusing on the artistic qualities of the work. Fanciful, joyous, and, of course, scandalous, Fragonard’s painting is a masterpiece in its own right.

So we’re going to break down the painting into the 7 elements of art:

1. Line

2. Shape

3. Form

4. Space

5. Texture

6. Value

7. Color

To break it down even further, we are specifically going to look at them in groups: line & shape, form & space & value, color, and then texture.

Though lines are more apparent in modern art, let’s look closely to see how lines play a role in organic scenery. If you think about it, there are lines in nearly everything we see. When an artist drafts work, they use large and vague lines to detail the shapes, composition, and space.

Lines tie into the creation of a shape and only further realizes an object in a canvas. If we take the scene as a whole, the shapes and lines guide your eyes from the bottom to the top, almost inviting you to view up the skirt. From the foreground to the tops of the branches, there are wonderful and graceful s-curves. As we ease forward from the background, we can see that the objects that are the central focus of the composition, have a more defined line work and shape than the background foliage.

Now, form and shape can be mistaken for each other due to their similarities. I like to think of it like this - shape is a flat object, just lines connected with little to no breaks. Form is the combination of this with value (or shading) and space. Form is often reserved for sculptural works but it is also relevant in 2D pieces, showcasing the depth and lighting of an object. Form, space, and value all create and influence the perspective of a composition.

Fragonard fulfills these three elements beautifully and seamlessly. There is a subtle definition the separates the background from the foreground. However, it is not jarring, not empty, just perfect in capturing the vastness of an overabundant garden. Look at the way he paints soft sunlight. It is incredible to see such luminosity in his work, it is almost as if the painting glows by itself. My favorite example of form within this piece is the mistress’ dress. The amount of weight Fragonard captures just through shading. It is almost tangible like you can reach out and feel the mass of the skirt.

Color has always been my favorite element. In my own work, I tend to use unmixed colors that could be seen as borderline obnoxious. However, Fragonard’s palette always remains soft, pastel, but contrasting. One of the most important successes of this painting is the restricted color palette. To put it broadly, we can define the colors as pink, green, yellow, and blue. Due to how similar the tones of each color are, one color doesn’t overpower the other with the exception of the pink dress.

In this, Fragonard chooses to use two complementary colors, pink (a member of the red family) and green, to create an emphasis on the central figure. In order to unify the work, he tones down red’s vibrancy to create this gorgeous carnation pink, making it pop against the primarily monotone green backdrop. I’ve always loved the colors in this piece from the mossy greens, light teals, and muted yellows.

Finally, texture. Texture plays an important role in how a work is perceived. Sure, texture could be three-dimensional like a woven rug or impasto oil paint, but Fragonard employs another method which makes Rococo so entirely unique in French art. Before Rococo, Art has been smooth, well-blended, harking on distinct realism and dramatic shadows. During this movement, there is a softening of brushstrokes, a relaxation of hyper detailing and form - it is, what I consider, the earliest hint of the loose strokes of Impressionism. And this is what makes “The Swing” so remarkably modern. It’s quite unfortunate that they then reverted back to serious realism in the following movement, neoclassicism, but that might be my bias talking.

As you can see, the 7 elements of artwork together and create a balance that entirely fits the narrative being depicted. It’s fun, it’s playful, and it lacks all seriousness. Fragonard’s “The Swing” is truly an embodiment of the carefree nature of the Rococo.

And that’s Art.