Noah's Ark Analysis

For many black Americans, the 1920’s became a period of retrospection and evaluation of who they were and what their new role would be in American society. The use of the “New Negro” trope was to differentiate contemporary black Americans from the perceived “Old Negro” stereotype. Beginning in the mid-1800’s, American minstrel shows perpetuated the “Old Negro” stereotype which became “more of a myth than a man.”10 White actors would wear black stage make-up and perform a mockery of what was believed Negro behavior.11 The term “New Negro” was to help black Americans remove themselves from the “ignorant, happy-go-lucky” and “the supposed naive and simple-minded”12 stereotype. The new and contemporary black Americans saw themselves as a valuable
Rays of light intersect the objects in the painting, which break apart the gradations of violet to allow for more hue changes. Through the use of new separations created by the rays of light, the painting has Cubist style. However, the rays don’t alter the perspective of the overall piece as it would have in a traditional Cubist painting. The flat figures and objects in Noah’s Ark are a salute to Egyptian wall painting, however, they differ since Douglas overlaps them create spatial
As in Noah’s Ark, there is the evidence of acknowledgment of Egyptian wall paintings which ties into African heritage. The most prominent part of the painting is the story being told through the figures in the foreground. Starting on the left, the story begins with the slave worker in the fields picking cotton. As the story transitions to the right, the figures are no longer hunching over, but are standing tall and willing to fight for their freedom. In the background are the silhouettes of the armies that fought for and against the abolishment of slavery. The center figure, through the use of Art Deco inspired geometric shapes becomes the focal point, is pointing towards the north to lead the southerners to their economic freedom. Lastly, on the right side of the painting, emphasizes the cultural rebirth black Americans found in the