Café

William H. Johnson

The painting above, named Café, was created by William H. Johnson another well known Harlem Renaissance painter. It portrays a black couple enjoying themselves at a coffee shop.. I also found it very interesting and unique how the Johnson posed the couple. The man us at the table with his legs crossed and arms to himself, while the female is standing straight embracing the man with her right arm. Usually, particularly in a patriarchal society, you would see the opposite going on. The man taking control of the women, taming her. This could be depicting the empowered black women seen throughout the Harlem Renaissance. A women that takes control of her life and body. 

I really like the color choice is the best part of the whole piece. I was intrigued by the painting mainly due to it's bright color block. The colors really pop, the purples, oranges, browns, blue etc.  The style was also something that looked great. I don't want to call it cubism or cartoon but it meets somewhere in the middle. Both man and women have strong box like torsos and are created by basic shapes with details. The grid pattern on the mans suit adds to the geometric rhythm that pervades throughout the piece. 

Café is a depiction of the HR theme: desire to reconstruct meaning of Negro. However, this piece is an exception. It wishes to reconstruct the meaning of a female negro. It enhances the idea that a black women is more than servant, especially in Harlem during the renaissance. She was a superwomen that had a bigger voice then most. A women that could take control of her career, household and partner. A women that could wear the pants in a relationship.