Jacob Lawrence’s “Barber Shop” radiates the energy, vitality and camaraderie of its subjects through animated, angular forms and electrifying colors. One of the first well-known African-American painters, Lawrence (1917 – 2000) dubbed his style “dynamic cubism.” He was strongly impacted by his surroundings in Depression-era Harlem, in particular the vivid colors African-American families used to brighten their tenement homes. His works depict the African-American experience and illustrate his compassion for his people.