Happening in Harlem

The exhibition “The Harlem Renaissance and Transatlantic Modernism” currently on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (until July 28th, 2024) is a landmark exhibition.

Triple Self-Portrait – W. Johnson

The exhibition focuses on the Harlem Renaissance as an international art movement and one that constantly absorbed, refined, and exported creative ideas and styles. The ebb and flow of artistic production and ideas – reaching other American cities like Chicago as well as Paris, London, and other European capitals – is convincingly argued. By reframing the give and take of artistic knowledge and production, the exhibit foregrounds the centrality of Harlem in the international understanding of American art in the inter-war period.

Woman with a Kerchief – W. Artis

The Harlem Renaissance and Transatlantic Modernism also highlights the ways that Black artists working in Harlem and other major cities with large Black populations during the Great Migration (1920s-40s) were portraying their experiences in a new and modern way. These artists weren’t simply absorbing European styles, but used art of the modern era as a springboard while creating their own unique vision of the Black experience in 20th-century America (and abroad).

Aspiration – A. Douglas

Another key point made by this exhibition is how Black art production, in turn, influenced the broader development of modern art. By showcasing Black art of the Harlem Renaissance, the Met has begun to acknowledge the role that Black artists played in shaping art in the 20th century.

Langston Hughes – T. Ramos-Blanco

Lastly, the exhibition is thrilling simply because it helps to broaden the canon of American art. For too long, the artistic canon showcased by museums like the Metropolitan Museum of Art has foregrounded white European and American artists. This exhibition begins to offer an alternative to this racial imbalance and give Black artists their rightful place in the story of American art.