1999.8
The Schomburg Library
Artist
Jacob Lawrence
(Atlantic City, New Jersey, 1917 - 2000)
Title
The Schomburg Library
Creation Date
ca. 1946
Century
20th century
Dimensions
12 in. x 18 in. (30.48 cm x 45.72 cm)
Object Type
drawing
Creation Place
North America, United States
Medium and Support
blue ink on paper
Credit Line
Gift of halley k harrisburg, Class of 1990, and Michael Rosenfeld
Copyright
This artwork may be under copyright. For further information, please consult the Museum’s
Copyright Terms and Conditions.
Accession Number
1999.8
Jacob Lawrence, who dedicated his life to giving visual form to the experience and traditions of black Americans, regularly conducted research at the Schomburg Library on 135th Street in Harlem, the first public library to focus on African American literature, history, and visual culture. In this drawing a man has his eyes trained on a book propped on the desk in front of him and appears poised to draw or write with an inked pen in hand. The artist’s process is evident in lines that intersect other forms, suggesting elements that were added after the base drawing was complete—such as the man’s hat, his briefcase, papers, and books. Lawrence’s characteristic visual dynamism is here reinforced by the slightly elevated perspective and the alternating rows of books that lean in opposite directions.
