Gouache: Tombstones

Tombstones, by Jacob Lawrence is an example of Gouache. Lawrence uses dark colors in contrast with the bright reds and blues to create and effect of despair. The figures are all very black, very dark. The opaqueness of the figures lends a sinister sense to what they're doing. Lawrence was born during World War 1, and the struggle for equal rights for African Americans in this country was documented by him. It definitely played a part in his paintings. Tombstone is interesting, especially with the amount of killing that currently occurs in poor neighborhoods in America. It's almost as if he foresaw what was going to happen, although the painting may be alluding to several other facets of African American life.