2. Portraiture & Fashion

What role did fashion play in the Harlem Renaissance? Artists at the time were committed to creating a new image of Black life in America and abroad. In this episode, we’ll explore how Black self-representation evolved during this period through the photography of James Van Der Zee and paintings by artists like William Henry Johnson and Archibald J. Motley, Jr. We’ll also examine how fashion conveyed community values and offered new modes of individual expression that challenged racist stereotypes and created a shared sense of dignity.

Learn more about The Met's exhibition at metmuseum.org/HarlemRenaissance

Objects featured in this episode:

James Van Der Zee, Nude, Harlem, 1923 (1970.539.27)

William Henry Johnson, Street Life, Harlem, ca. 1939–1940

James Van Der Zee, Couple, Harlem, 1932 (2021.446.1.2)

Archibald J. Motley, Jr., Black Belt, 1934

Guests:

Bridget R. Cooks, Chancellor’s Fellow and professor of art history and African American studies at the University of California, Irvine

Robin Givhan, Senior critic-at-large, The Washington Post

For a transcript of this episode and more information, visit metmuseum.org/HarlemIsEverywhere

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Harlem Is Everywhere is produced by The Metropolitan Museum of Art in collaboration with Audacy's Pineapple Street Studios. 

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