{"product_id":"jacob-lawrence-the-builders-the-family-1974-signed-screen-print","title":"Jacob Lawrence The Builders (The Family) 1974 Signed Screen-Print","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eArtist\u003c\/strong\u003e: Jacob Lawrence\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTitle\u003c\/strong\u003e: The Builders (The Family)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMedium\u003c\/strong\u003e: Screenprint in Colors\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEdition\u003c\/strong\u003e: 115\/300\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher\u003c\/strong\u003e:  IBM Corporation, New York (Nesbett 74-1)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eImage Size\u003c\/strong\u003e: 30\" x 22\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrame Size\u003c\/strong\u003e: 40\" x 30.5\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYear\u003c\/strong\u003e: 1974\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eInscription\u003c\/strong\u003e: Signed, titled, dated, numbered 115\/300 and inscribed \"To Gene and Tommy -Jake 4\/22\/84\" in pencil, lower front margin.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDocumentation\u003c\/strong\u003e: Includes Gallery Certificate of Authenticity\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJacob Lawrence's \"The Builders (The Family)\" (1974) is a color screenprint that exemplifies the artist's mature synthesis of modernist structure and narrative clarity, rendered through his distinctive visual language of flattened forms, rhythmic composition, and symbolic figuration. A leading figure of American modernism and a central voice in the visual articulation of African American experience in the 20th century, Lawrence consistently used serial imagery and simplified geometry to convey complex social narratives with immediacy and cohesion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn \"The Builders (The Family)\", Lawrence presents a stylized domestic and communal scene in which figures are integrated into a carefully constructed pictorial environment. The composition emphasizes interdependence and collective activity, with forms arranged in a tightly orchestrated spatial structure that prioritizes balance, rhythm, and visual continuity over naturalistic depth. As in much of Lawrence's work from this period, the image operates less as a literal depiction of a specific event and more as an emblematic construction of shared experience, labor, and familial unity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePublished in 1974 by IBM Corporation in New York (Nesbett 74-1), the print reflects Lawrence's engagement with institutional print programs that expanded the reach of contemporary American art during the mid-1970s. The work exists within an edition of 300, underscoring its role in broad dissemination while retaining the hallmarks of the artist's hand through its signed and inscribed presentation. This example is additionally inscribed in pencil “To Gene and Tommy - Jake 4\/22\/84,\" providing a personal dedication that situates the work within a broader context of exchange and circulation beyond the original publication date.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe screenprint measures 30 x 22 inches (image size), with a framed dimension of 40 x 30 1\/2 inches. This example is signed, titled, dated, numbered 115\/300, and inscribed by the artist in pencil along the lower margin. It includes a Gallery Certificate of Authenticity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWithin Lawrence's broader practice, \"The Builders (The Family)\" reflects his continued focus on themes of collective life, social structure, and human cooperation, articulated through a disciplined modernist framework. The work demonstrates his ability to translate narrative content into a highly ordered visual system, reinforcing his position as one of the most important figurative artists of the twentieth century.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout Jacob Lawrence\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJacob Lawrence was a pioneering American painter and storyteller whose work reshaped the narrative of twentieth-century art through a powerful focus on African American history and everyday life. Born in 1917 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and raised in Harlem, New York, Lawrence emerged as one of the most important figures of the Harlem Renaissance and its legacy, developing a distinctive visual language defined by bold colors, flattened forms, and dynamic, rhythmic compositions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLawrence is best known for his narrative series, most notably The Migration Series (1940–1941), a sequence of 60 panels that chronicles the mass movement of African Americans from the rural South to the urban North during the early twentieth century. This seminal body of work established Lawrence as a leading voice in American modernism, combining historical documentation with a highly stylized aesthetic that drew on influences ranging from cubism to social realism. Through concise visual storytelling and carefully structured compositions, Lawrence conveyed complex themes of struggle, resilience, labor, and community.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThroughout his career, Lawrence continued to explore significant historical and cultural subjects, including series dedicated to figures such as Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, and Toussaint Louverture. His work is distinguished by its clarity of form and narrative intention, often accompanied by text captions that reinforce the didactic and documentary qualities of his imagery. Lawrence's disciplined approach to color—typically using a limited palette applied sequentially across panels—further contributes to the cohesion and immediacy of his storytelling.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eToday, Jacob Lawrence is recognized as a central figure in American art history, celebrated for his ability to merge modernist aesthetics with deeply human narratives. His work not only documents key moments in American history but also elevates the experiences of marginalized communities, ensuring their stories remain an essential part of the cultural canon.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Artist - Jacob Lawrence","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48530048286874,"sku":"63754853637846","price":18500.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1414\/9028\/files\/jacob-lawrence-the-builders-the-family-screenprint-1974-detail1.jpg?v=1782761163","url":"https:\/\/modernartifact.com\/products\/jacob-lawrence-the-builders-the-family-1974-signed-screen-print","provider":"Modern Artifact","version":"1.0","type":"link"}