Aaron Douglas from Harlem to Philly

About the Class

“Did I tell you that Dr. Barnes invited me down to see the pictures at the Barnes Foundation? I spent yesterday out there. . . . Gosh, but it is a marvelous place. He undoubtedly has the largest single collection of modern paintings in America and certainly the finest collection of Negro sculptures.” —Aaron Douglas in a letter to future wife Alta Sawyer, c. 1925

Aaron Douglas (1899–1979) helped define the visual language of the Harlem Renaissance by merging modernism, African artistic traditions, and African American history. Less widely known is the formative role the Barnes Foundation played in his burgeoning career.

This four-session online course reconnects Douglas’s work to his yearlong fellowship at the Barnes, awarded by Dr. Albert Barnes himself, that allowed the young artist to study modern European and American paintings alongside African sculpture. Soon afterward, Douglas entered the most productive period of his career, creating some of his best-known works, including a series of large-scale murals.

Together, we’ll examine Douglas’s evolving artistic vision and explore his connections to writers, artists, and intellectuals of the Harlem Renaissance. We will also consider broader questions of heritage, modernity, and cultural identity in 20th-century American art.

The class is online-only. More about online classes.

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Barnes classes will:

• Sharpen your observational and critical-thinking skills.
• Improve your ability to communicate about art.
• Deepen your appreciation for cultures and histories outside your own.

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About the Series

Spotlight on American art! This October, we’re offering four new classes on four groundbreaking American painters. Sign up for one or enroll in all four at a discounted rate.

From the international career of James McNeill Whistler to the singular vision of Mary Cassatt, from Thomas Eakins’s Philadelphia realism to Aaron Douglas’s Harlem Renaissance modernism, these courses examine how American artists responded to changing ideas about identity, culture, and artistic expression.

Through close looking, discussion, and historical context, you’ll engage deeply with the people, places, and ideas that continue to shape conversations about American art today.

What Students Are Saying

“Joe Tokumasu Field was a wonderful instructor. He’s patient, caring, and skilled at interacting with students’ questions and comments.” —The Japanese American Century with Joseph Tokumasu Field

“This was an exciting course with fascinating and informative lectures and well-chosen pictures. Franits is a brilliant teacher.” —17th-Century Dutch Art’s “Holy Trinity”: Hals, Rembrandt, and Vermeer with Wayne Franits

“The instructor was outstanding in every way—an expert in the subject, enthusiastic about the material, solicitous and supportive of students’ observations, and brilliant in expanding our discussion as warranted. The best Barnes instructor I’ve had, by far.” —The Nabis: Late 19th-Century Prophets of the New with Larissa Bailiff

“I enjoyed the course very much and liked how each week focused on a different topic relevant to the subject. Caterina is an engaging speaker, and you can tell she loves what she is teaching. Her enthusiasm and sense of humor come through.” —Famous Heists: Crimes in the History of Art with Caterina Pierre

“I felt at peace afterward and appreciated the art so much more than before.” —Being Present with Art: Cultivating Balance for Spring with Roksana Filipowska