When I first walked into the Ackland Art museum, I walked straight, then veering left into a gallery, I saw a sight that intrigued me. The walls were covered with paintings. What I saw hanging there seemed to be a picture storyboard of sort; a collage of paintings that progressed as I walked through the room. These pictures all included a man and at times, many other things. The pictures progressed to a final end; however, I could not interpret them; I did not understand what they meant. Then, also on the wall, I found an explanation: this sequence of paintings portrayed the legend of the famous abolitionist, John Brown. John Brown thought himself to be the savior of the slaves and acted upon this belief, planning means of escape for the slaves and staging riots against those who were pro-slavery. Walking around the gallery a second time, though this time with the aforementioned knowledge, I began to see symbolism within each painting, stemming from various different aspects of each of the pieces of art.
Number 13, one of the paintings in the series of The Legend of John Brown, is orderly and well planed. Your eye is drawn to several places within the artwork right off the bat. The black cross stands out, juxtaposed against a blue background. A map of the United States, spread across the table, exudes a bright red - the color of blood. Aside from the map and the blue background, the picture consists of bland colors. Jacob Lawrence utilizes certain colors to highlight specific aspects throughout his painting, Number 13. The colors also act as symbols and the orderly fashion contribute to the work’s meaning as Lawrence tries to portray the actions and thoughts of the famous abolitionist John Brown.
Looking at Number 13 in the Legend of John Brown, one’s eyes are immediately drawn to the blue triangle that envelops the top right side of the painting. This blue triangle radiates out from the lantern on the table; it is the light from the candle within. This blue triangle of light highlights a black cross that would have merely faded into the background without this blue light. The cross is located in the top right corner instead of the dead center; however, despite its location, it is still a focal point of the picture The light illuminating the cross comes from the table where John Brown is planning an escape route for the slaves. John Brown’s actions, finding a way out of captivity for the slaves, give light to why he is considered savior of the African Americans.
Another such image that catches one’s eye is the map of the United States of America, located in the bottom center of the painting. This map is consumed by red, outlined in a white, and then a blue. The red engulfs the map, symbolizing the bloodshed or guilt that drenched the entire United States due to the legality of slavery. This red did not merely cover the South of the pro-slavery states, but instead, it covered the entirety of the United States, showing that the fault lay upon the entire nation for allowing the practice of slavery to exist at all within the nation. This map consists of sharp angles; its outline line is harsh with no rounded curves. Like sharp angles, so was the government concerning the slavery. They left no leeway. Slaves were dealt with as if they were inhuman. Drawn on the United States map in black, various sketches and lines are seen. However, the only one that may be understood comes in the form of the Star of David in the top, left corner. In the past, Jews, often represented by the Star of David, experienced much persecution similar to that of the black slaves. They were discriminated against based on their religion, or in essence, who they were. Perhaps this Star of David is drawing a parallel from the past experiences of the Jews to the current situation of the slaves. The rest of the lines vary from thin, pencil marks to thick dots or triangles, merely marking the pathways of escape on the map for the slaves, denoting the final destinations on their escape routes.
Though I thought that the map of the United States, colored in by red represented a nation covered in the blood of the slaves, the guilt of the nation, I was in fact completely wrong. The artist who painted this work, Jacob Lawrence, recognized a key fact that I originally did not. John Brown set out with the idea that slavery was wrong as one any supporter of slavery. He launched many an attack on slavery advocates, spilling much blood. I understood that the red symbolized blood, but I thought it was the blood of the slaves. Instead, I now know this blood to be that of those he attacked on his plan – the blood shed as he forged his way to freeing the slaves.
The map, aforementioned, sits upon a tabletop located in the direct center of the painting. An older man with white hair (John Brown) sits at this table, pointing at the map. Seemingly deep in thought, both of his elbows rest upon the table as he leans over the map. He works by lantern light, the same light that brings focus to the black cross. John Brown’s posture and his working by candlelight give light to his dedication to his cause – the abolition of slavery. Alone he sits musing over his plans; alone he works through the night. The body of this man, clothed in black, blends into the black backdrop; however, his head and hands stand out, being painted in colors contrasting to black. Though as a person, John Brown may blend in with the rest of humanity, his hands and head stand out. Often times, hands represent one’s work and one’s head represents ideas or beliefs. Likewise, John Brown’s ideas of freedom and his personal plans that further obtaining this freedom for slaves are what make his name great; it is not merely him as a being that stands out.
On the right side of the artwork exists an empty chair spotlighted against the black background. A book resembling a Bible with red pages sits upon this chair. Contrasting this empty, serene chair with a Bible sitting on it is the left side of Jacob Lawrence’s artwork. This side of the artwork is light, with a tan background – no longer black. Regardless, four guns are the forefront of the left side of the painting. Three guns hang in a vertical manner while one gun is hung horizontally above the other three. This contrast from Bible to guns represents the vastness of John Brown’s character and his ideals. He longed for freedom of the slaves, which in essence, is a good thing. However, he went about starting “bloody battles with heavy losses.” The guns may represent the other side of this contrast. He began merely wanting to set things right, but this turned into wanting to conquer the South by force military force He wanted them to fail; he wanted to conquer the South.
There are many things to note within this one piece of art. The detail in color and placement of certain objects certainly add to the work. Looking at the piece of art without any background makes it hard to decipher; however, with a little bit of knowledge, the mystery of this painting begins to unfold. Though I was incorrect with some of the symbolism, the gist of the painting is clearly seen. The mere existence of slavery within the United States as directly/indirectly led to bloodshed. One man, the man pictured in the center, John Brown, will give light to the situation; he is, in essence, the savior. With beliefs all over the board, represented by the contrasting objects, he attempts to save the slaves. When looking at this picture closely, you can most assuredly see how Jacob Lawrence used symbolism to give a deeper look into the abolitionism of John Brown.
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