AARON DOUGLAS

Aaron Douglas, Birds in Flight, c. 1927-1929.
Oil on canvas. Gift of Marguerite and Gerry Lenfest in honor of Anne d'Harnoncourt, Philadelphia Museum of Art. © 2024 Heirs of Aaron Douglas / Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY.

In this painting Aaron Douglas merges flying birds with their urban environment. Their bright feathers match the sunset colors of the sky and their flapping wings become progressively more geometric, taking on the look of industrial architecture. Douglas began painting in this modern style shortly after moving to New York in 1925. There, he became one of the principle artists associated with the African American cultural movement known as the Harlem Renaissance.