Jazz, a musical genre born from the vibrant culture of African American communities, has long transcended the form of auditory media and permeated the visual arts with its melodies, improvisations, and rhythms. Artists have found endless inspiration in the energy, spirit, and emotional depth of jazz music, from the Harlem Renaissance modernists to the abstract interpretations from Europe,. This list explores five paintings that not only reflect the diverse expressions and depictions of the musical form but also offer a glimpse into the cultural and personal narratives that shaped them. Here are five paintings inspired by jazz music.
Jean-Michel Baquiat’s King Zulu
First in our exploration of paintings inspired by jazz music: in this work, Jean-Michel Basquiat portrays three American jazz trumpeters: Bix Beiderbecke, Bunk Johnson, and Howard McGhee. In the centre of the canvas, a face labelled as “King Zulu” is featured, inspired by Louis Armstrong, who was crowned as King of the Zulus for the New Orleans’ Mardi Gras Parade in 1949. The blue background in which these musicians are set evokes the sound of blues music. Basquiat often looked to jazz music for inspiration, citing saxophonist Charlie Parker as a hero.
Archibald Motley’s Blues
A packed room filled with a group of men and women socialising and dancing to a band is the subject of Archibald Motley’s 1929 painting entitled Blues, an art deco piece from the Harlem Renaissance. Motley was an African American modernist painter, primarily known for his work chronicling the African-American experience in Chicago during the 1920s through to the 1940s. He tackled subjects such as skin tone, racism, and identity head on in his works, harnessing the power of the individual among African Americans. In Blues, Motley has depicted each person with a different skin tone, attempting to bring out the character of each subject.
Aaron Douglas’s Song of the Towers
Continuing our guide to paintings inspired by jazz music: this painting is part of a four-part mural collection in which Aaron Douglas depicts the African American experience within the American Dream, titled Aspects of Negro Life. Douglas, a major figure in the Harlem Renaissance, portrayed jazz music through an African American figure holding a saxophone aloft, set against a backdrop of towering buildings from which the sun’s radiant glow emerges. The Statue of Liberty stands in the distance in a haze of bright light, symbolising freedom and the American dream. The painting offers a narrative of the complexities of the African American experience and what jazz music represents.
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Arthur Dove’s Sentimental Music
The New York artist Arthur Dove created an abstract depiction of musical instruments in his painting Sentimental Music. Through his fascination in music contemporary to his time, such as jazz music and the works of Ivor Stravinsky, as well as his interest in synesthesia, he attempted to convey emotional and physical responses to jazz music. His diaries make references to many legendary jazz artists such as Louis Armstrong, Bing Crosby, and George Gershwin.
Francis Picabia’s Negro Song
Rounding up our list of paintings inspired by jazz music: the French avant-garde painter Francis Picabia is closely associated with the Dada movement, but this painting draws on the style of Cubism. While seeking refuge in New York City as World War I raged in his home country of France, Picabia was strongly inspired by the energy and sounds of the city, and produced several works, Negro Song I being one of them. This painting (alongside its counterpart, Negro Song II) reflects Picabia’s experience at a cabaret in Harlem, where he heard the improvisational vocals of a Black jazz singer. These titles incorporate a now outdated and derogatory term to denote persons of Black African heritage, although these expressions were common at the time. The painting translates the rhythms and dynamism of the music into a fluid array of geometric shapes and brown and purple hues.