Jacob Lawrence
Jacob Lawrence, Man with Birds, from Hiroshima, 1983
1983

Name: Jacob Lawrence, Man with Birds, from Hiroshima, 1983
Brand: Jacob Lawrence
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About the Item

This exquisite silkscreen by Jacob Lawrence (1917–2000), titled Man with Birds, from the album Hiroshima, originates from the 1983 edition published by The Limited Editions Club, New York, and printed by Studio Heinrici, Ltd., New York, under the direction of Alexander Heinrici, New York, 1983. Man with Birds reveals Lawrence’s poetic vision and mastery of modernist form, uniting color, rhythm, and gesture to express themes of renewal, humanity, and the endurance of spirit. Executed as a silkscreen in eleven colors on velin St. Cuthberts Mill Somerset mouldmade paper, this work measures 12.81 x 9.375 inches. Unsigned and unnumbered as issued. The edition exemplifies the exceptional craftsmanship of Studio Heinrici and the refined production standards of The Limited Editions Club, New York. Artwork Details: Artist: Jacob Lawrence (1917–2000) Title: Man with Birds, from the album Hiroshima Medium: Silkscreen in eleven colors on velin St. Cuthberts Mill Somerset mouldmade paper Dimensions: 12.81 x 9.375 inches (32.54 x 23.81 cm) Inscription: Unsigned and unnumbered as issued Date: 1983 Publisher: The Limited Editions Club, New York Printer: Studio Heinrici, Ltd., New York, under the direction of Alexander Heinrici Condition: Well preserved, consistent with age and medium Provenance: From the album Hiroshima, published by The Limited Editions Club, New York, 1983 Notes: Excerpted from the album, MD examples of this edition of Hiroshima were printed by Bruce Chandler and Daniel Keleher at the Wild Carrot Lelterpress in Hadley, Massachusetts. The album was designed by Ben Shiff. The text was hand set in Foundry Optima Medium at the Golgonooza Letter Foundry, Ashuelot Village, New Hampshire. The eight original silkscreens were printed in eleven colors at The Studio Heinrici Ltd., New York City. The album was full bound in black aniline leather at Robert Burlen & Son. About the Publication: Hiroshima, published in 1983 by The Limited Editions Club, New York, stands as one of the most significant collaborations between literature and visual art in the 20th century. Created nearly four decades after John Hersey’s landmark 1946 text that humanized the devastation of the atomic bomb, this edition pairs Hersey’s poignant narrative with eight original silkscreens by Jacob Lawrence. Printed under the direction of master printer Alexander Heinrici at Studio Heinrici, Ltd., New York, the edition exemplifies the precision and artistry of American fine press publishing. Designed by Ben Shiff and bound in black aniline leather by Robert Burlen & Son, Hiroshima reflects both aesthetic and moral integrity—transforming tragedy into an act of remembrance through craftsmanship and art. The collaboration embodies The Limited Editions Club’s tradition of uniting great literature with the visual innovations of modern masters, resulting in a volume that is as moving in its conception as it is elegant in execution. About the Artist: Jacob Lawrence (1917–2000) was one of the most influential American painters of the 20th century, a pioneering modernist whose bold color, rhythmic geometry, and powerful storytelling redefined the possibilities of narrative art. Born in Atlantic City and raised in Harlem during the Harlem Renaissance, Lawrence became a central voice in modernism, chronicling the African American experience with clarity, dignity, and emotional power. Deeply inspired by the structural abstraction of Pablo Picasso, Alexander Calder, Alberto Giacometti, Wassily Kandinsky, Marcel Duchamp, and Joan Miro, as well as the surreal imagination of Salvador Dali and Man Ray, he fused the innovations of European modernism with the pulse, rhythm, and resilience of African American culture. His breakthrough series The Migration of the Negro (1940–41), a 60-panel epic narrating the migration of African Americans from the South to the North, established him as the first Black artist represented by a major New York gallery and secured his place among the great figures of modern art. Lawrence’s visual language—defined by flat, vibrant planes of color, geometric structure, and narrative precision—transcended borders, influencing artists across generations and continents. His humanistic approach resonated not only in the United States but also across Africa, where modern and contemporary masters such as El Anatsui, Yinka Shonibare, William Kentridge, Cheri Samba, Ben Enwonwu, Ibrahim El-Salahi, Wangechi Mutu, Ablade Glover, Pascale Marthine Tayou, and Hassan Hajjaj drew inspiration from his ability to merge identity, history, and form into a universal artistic vision. Throughout his career, Lawrence balanced abstraction and figuration, transforming historical subjects into timeless allegories of migration, labor, and hope. His mentors Charles Alston and Augusta Savage, and his contemporaries Romare Bearden and Aaron Douglas, helped shape a generation of artists who saw art as a form of empowerment and education. As a teacher at Black Mountain College and later at the University of Washington, he influenced countless younger artists, including Kerry James Marshall, Faith Ringgold, Barkley L. Hendricks, Mickalene Thomas, and Kehinde Wiley, who continued his legacy of combining formal innovation with cultural storytelling. His works are represented in major institutions including the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and continue to inspire viewers for their clarity of vision and human depth. The highest auction record for Jacob Lawrence was achieved when The Businessmen (1947) sold for $6.2 million USD at Christie’s, New York, on November 17, 2021, confirming his enduring status as one of America’s greatest modern painters and a global influence on generations of African and international artists. Jacob Lawrence Man with Birds Hiroshima The Limited Editions Club Studio Heinrici Alexander Heinrici New York silkscreen St. Cuthberts Mill Somerset modern art.

Creator:
Jacob Lawrence (1917-2000, American)
Creation Year:
1983
Dimensions:
Height: 12.81 in (32.54 cm)Width: 9.375 in (23.82 cm)
Medium:
Screen
Movement & Style:
Expressionist
Period:
1980-1989
Condition:
Gallery Location:
Southampton, NY
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU1465216146332

Shop All Jacob Lawrence

Jacob Lawrence

One of the first Black artists to receive national acclaim in the United States, Jacob Armstead Lawrence (1917–2000) was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey, before moving to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and then to Harlem, New York, in 1930. While enrolled in a community after-school arts program, Lawrence developed his talents as a painter, drawing praise and encouragement from artist Charles Alston, who ran the program at the time. Despite his family’s financial struggles during the Great Depression, Lawrence continued his pursuit of the arts, developing a series of multipanel realist paintings dedicated to iconic Black historical figures, including Toussaint L’Ouverture, Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman. In 1938, he had his first solo exhibition at the Harlem YMCA and had begun to work for the Works Progress Administration (WPA).

In 1940, Lawrence received a grant from a philanthropic organization called the Rosenwald Fund, which allowed him to begin what would become his most famous work: The Migration Series, a narrative piece comprised of casein tempera paint on 60 18-by-12-inch hardboard panels featuring captions he’d written before he began to paint. (Fellow artist and future wife Gwendolyn Knight helped with the text.) Lawrence’s series focuses on the Great Migration of Black Americans from the agricultural South to the industrial North between 1910 and 1940.

By the end of the 1940s, Lawrence had earned widespread recognition for his important work and was the most celebrated Black artist in the United States. He continued covering Black historical figures throughout his career, though he also painted social commentaries on contemporary issues, like World War II and civil rights. He taught at the Art Students League in New York and at Black Mountain College in North Carolina (upon invitation from artist Josef Albers), among other institutions.

Lawrence’s works can be found in the collections of many major museums, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York and elsewhere. His painting The Builders hangs in the White House today, as it was acquired by the White House Historical Association in 2007.

By Jacob Lawrence

Located in Long Island City, NY

An original fine art print by Jacob Lawrence from the Kent Spirit of Independence Poster Portfolio, published in 1975 by Lorillard. The offset prints from this portfolio are unsigned...

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