Unit 3 Project by Devin Cooney

John Brown felt that he was chosen by God to put an end to slavery in America. “The Legend of John Brown,” an exhibit by Jacob Lawrence, shows Brown’s struggle with getting rid of slavery. Brown tried to overthrow slavery by raiding the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry. Lawrence uses historical events as inspiration for his paintings. The story of John Brown shows the link between religion and history. For this reason,and the religious symbols Lawrence puts in his exhibit, Lawrence’s aim was not directed at depicting Harpers Ferry. Rather, he used this moment in history to show Brown’s relationship with God, and the sacrifices made by people who walk in faith.

The very first painting shows the link between Brown and God. It illustrates Jesus being nailed to a cross. It has a very dark background. The sky is a dark, yet vivid, blue. There is also blood coming from Jesus’ feet. A man has his back turned to the scene, potentially showing that the scene saddens him. The historical significance is that Brown was chosen by God to get rid of slavery in America.

Many of the other paintings illustrate Brown’s plan to conquer slavery. In painting two, Brown prays with his friends. I am guessing he is thinking about the terrible condition of the slaves. Once again, Lawrence uses vivid colors. Guns hang in the top left corner on bright yellow rungs. My eyes focused on that part of the painting first. I feel this was done on purpose to show the importance of the guns. The guns are obviously an important component in the raid on Harpers Ferry. In addition, a Bible sits in the center of the table. This was also done on purpose because Brown’s life revolves around God. It being in the center shows that God was the main thing driving Brown.

Many of the other paintings show Brown’s connection with God. For example, the fourth painting in the exhibit shows John Brown’s struggle with poverty. In this painting, the wall has a cross on it. I feel that the painting could be a reference to the Bible and its view on impoverished people. Many Bible verses speak about the riches the poor will reap in Heaven if they are obedient. Versus such as Matthew 20:16 “the last will be first, and the first will be last” and Matthew 5:5 “the meek shall inherit the Earth” speak about the benefit that those less fortunate will receive in exchange for their faith.

In painting 14, Brown collected money from sympathizers and friends to carry out his plans. The first thing that I focused on in the painting was the look in John Brown’s eye. It almost looks as if he is begging. Change fills the table in front of him, which I think means that he begged to get money for his cause. All of the things that he does revolves around his relationship with God. On the walls next to him, the Virgin Mary is on the left with baby Jesus, while on the right a Crucified Jesus is shown. I think that his birth being on the left and Jesus’ death on the right is shown to be somewhat of a timeline of Jesus’ birth and death. This could be a connection to Brown himself, considering his death.

Brown collects money and convinces blacks to fight alongside him. This culminates in picture 18, which shows a barnyard full of guns and ammunition that he stockpiled using his money. It looks like he is ready to attack the institution of slavery.

Picture 20 shows Brown and his company of men shooting. It shows the attack on Harpers Ferry. They held their ground for 12 hours. On one of the rebel’s backs, there is what looks to be a sword, but could also be viewed as a cross. This can be a reference to God being with Brown as he fights for the removal of slavery, which makes sense considering Brown felt that God called him to overthrow slavery.

However, picture 21 shows his ultimate defeat. He was captured and put to trial for treason and murder. However, his faith never faltered. This is evident in him holding a cross in the painting. God’s love is forever with Brown, even in his death.

Finally, in picture 22, it illustrates Brown’s hanging. He died for his crimes on December 2, 1859. I feel that the last painting being Brown’s death means something. The connection between Jesus and Brown is finally realized. In painting one, Jesus hangs from a cross for his crimes. In the last painting, it shows Brown being hanged for his crimes. Ultimately, the start of the exhibit as well as the end, shows two people dying in their attempt to help people. Both did it in different ways. Jesus was strictly a peacekeeper, while Brown had a violent plan to overthrow slavery. I think the point in showing the difference between their viewpoints was to highlight how sometimes violence is necessary in preserving justice and the actions that are motivated by religion.

A counter claim would be that Lawrence, due to his love for history, just wanted to depict Brown’s struggle to overthrow slavery. Lawrence painted many artworks with historical contexts. He could have just wanted to show Brown’s historical importance, not his relationship with God. However, it is hard to ignore God’s influence on Brown’s life, and in illustrating Brown’s struggle with overthrowing slavery, you have to focus on Brown’s relationship with God.

Overall, the exhibit left me thinking that Lawrence wanted to convey a message that Brown walked with Christ. Many of the paintings in the exhibit point to this fact. While he depicts the raid of Harpers Ferry, I feel that it is just a way to show the actual message of Brown’s connection with God. However, paintings present many different viewpoints. Lawrence could have just been looking at the historical context. It all goes back to your own opinion. What do you kids think? Go to the Ackland Art Museum and check it out!!!

Fun Links!!
http://www.ackland.org/art/exhibitions/2010/jacob_lawrence/