MONA

Aaron Douglas
Portrait of a Young Man (1960)

 
At the Museum of Nebraska Art, Portrait of a Young Man provides a glimpse into the trailblazing art of Aaron Douglas. In 1922, Douglas was the first African-American to earn a bachelor of fine arts degree from the University of Nebraska. Just two years later, he was taking a leadership role in the cultural awakening of African-Americans in New York's Harlem Renaissance. Creating bold and dignified imagery of people, places and scenes of routine African-American life, Douglas' paintings celebrated black history and culture. In the charcoal, Portrait of a Young Man, Douglas displays a simple and pensive pose that captures the essence of the style that established him as the Father of African-American Art…and it's an art treasure of Nebraska at the Museum of Nebraska Art.