Assignment Task:
Aaron Douglas created this mural in 1934 as a commission by the U.S. government's Works Progress Administration under President Franklin D. Roosevelt's economic plan, the New Deal. This mural is one in a set of four. The document encircled by light in the center is the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863. The second encircled document on the right side of the panel is a man casting his vote at a ballot box.
Directions:
Question 1: Spend a quiet minute or two looking at the artwork. Then, describe what you see. What part stands out the most?
Question 2: Write two adjectives that describe the feeling, mood, or atmosphere created in this painting.
Question 3: Choose a figure of an individual or a lighting element that catches your eye and explain a symbolic meaning that element could hold.
Question 4: Thinking about the subject matter, mood, color palette, and symbolic element/s you've noticed, what's a reasonable message this painting delivers to the viewer?
Question 5: Douglas, who was known for his political activism and his distinctive artistic style, received both praise and criticism for this art piece. What, do you suppose, his critics disliked about the mural? Need Assignment Help?
Question 6: If you were asked by Douglas' representative to give this mural a new name, what name would you choose? Explain your reasoning.