The Wedding

Jacob LawrenceWW-1948-015908

1948·Egg tempera on hardboard·50.8 × 61 cm (20 × 24 in.)

“I paint the things I have experienced,” Jacob Lawrence once said. In The Wedding, Lawrence depicted both the solemnity and the joy of a marriage ceremony and the coming together of families. Positioning the figures with their backs to the viewer, Lawrence’s composition invites us to participate in the couple’s major life event. Although the preacher’s face is only partially defined, he appears to look down with great seriousness as the two contemplate their vows. The large, colorful urns overflowing with flowers signify happiness and may also represent the future prosperity of this union. Lawrence depicted the histories and events of black Americans—whether through individual compositions such as The Wedding that commemorated the everyday activities of his fellow Harlem residents, or through series of paintings that explored subjects ranging from the Great Migration to the story of Harriet Tubman.

Catalogue

Year: 1948
Medium: Egg tempera on hardboard
Dimensions: 50.8 × 61 cm (20 × 24 in.)
Collection: Art Institute of Chicago
Artist: Jacob Lawrence

Artist

Jacob Lawrence

Painting

Jacob Lawrence was an American painter renowned for his narrative murals and series works depicting African American history and urban life. Working primarily in gouache and tempera on paper, he developed a modernist style characterized by flattened forms, bold primary colors, and geometric fragmentation that conveyed emotional intensity without sentimentality. His migration series and works addressing the Great Depression, the Harlem Renaissance, and everyday Black experience became foundational to twentieth-century American art. Lawrence taught at several institutions and maintained a studio practice spanning seven decades.

Atlantic City, NJ, USA

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