Freedom
Jacob Lawrence, Ambulance Call, 1948, tempera on board, 24 x 20 in. Courtesy Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas. © The Jacob and Gwendolyn Lawrence Foundation, Seattle, Washington / Licensed by Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Photography by Edward C. Robison III.
Jacob Lawrence
Ambulance Call
- What do you think is happening in this scene? How can you tell?
- How does the artist create a sense of community in this painting? What similarities and/or differences do you notice in the many figures in this painting?
In Ambulance Call, an ailing man is carried away on a stretcher as a crowd gathers. The artist painted blocky forms in a bold but limited palette, creating a rhythmic pattern. Lawrence conveyed the sense of community in his Harlem neighborhood by grouping the figures closely together, their individual expressions communicating sadness and concern. He emphasized that his paintings had a universal quality, conveying the human experiences of joy, pain, and community through a focus on African American urban life.
- What communities do you belong to? What lessons do you learn from your community? Who decides what is fair or equitable? Who should decide?
- How do we know what we know about Black history? Why do you think it’s important for Black artists to tell their own stories?
Content Contributors
Exhibition sponsored by Kenneth C. Griffin
Learning and engagement programming for
We the People: The Radical Notion of Democracy is sponsored by:
Sarah and Ross Perot, Jr. Foundation | Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates, & Woodyard, P.L.L.C. | Johnny and Jeanie Morris, Bass Pro Shops | Alturas Foundation | Harriet and Warren Stephens, Stephens Inc. | Sotheby’s | Bob and Becky Alexander | Marybeth and Micky Mayfield | Lamar and Shari Steiger | Jeff and Sarah Teague / Citizens Bank | Arkansas Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities | Avis and Bill Bailey | Scarlett and Neff Basore | June Carter Family | Terri and Chuck Erwin | Jackye and Curtis Finch | The Harrison and Rhonda French Family | Jim and Susan von Gremp | Laurice Hachem | Shannon and Charles Holley | Valorie and Randy Lawson / Lawco Energy Group | Donna and Mack McLarty | Steve and Susan Nelson | Neal and Gina Pendergraft | Helen Porter | JT and Imelda Rose | Lee and Linda Scott | Stella Boyle Smith Trust, Catherine and Michael Mayton, Trustees | William Reese Company
600 Museum Way,
Bentonville, AR 72712
(479) 418-5700
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Tue
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Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas. Crystal Bridges trails and grounds open daily from sunrise to sunset.
507 SE E St,
Bentonville, AR 72712
(479) 367-7500
Tue — Thu | Sun
10am — 6pm
Friday | Sat
11am — 8pm
Mon
Closed
Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas.