“Midsummer Night in Harlem”
1938
Oil on canvas
Palmer Hayden
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“Although Palmer Hayden faced many critics he also had many black artist advocating for his work. Palmer Hayden was one of the most influential artists during the Harlem Renaissance.”
“Midsummer Night in Harlem was meant to embody the community in Harlem. Palmer Hayden portrayed a high-energy community sitting outside of their houses to cool off on a hot summer night. This painting shows the energy and positive attitude through vibrant colors and the expressions of the people. They all have smiles and nice “Sunday church” outfits on. It is fair to assume that the people had just come from church because Palmer Hayden has people still lingering out of the church in the background. Midsummer Night in Harlem was another one of Palmer Hayden’s paintings that got a negative reaction from some black Americans because of how interpreted their physical features. The people in this photo once again had features that were comparable to the minstrel characters. They all have very dark skin, big white eyes, and big mouths. James Porter criticized Palmer Hayden’s painting of “Midsummer Night In Harlem” because of the minstrel characters; he called the artwork “talent gone astray”.
-Art257Virtual art exhibitionny
