This summer marks the 150th anniversary of the end of the American Civil War. Jacob Lawrence’s portfolio of 22 serigraph prints tells the story of militant abolitionist John Brown, whose mission to overthrow black slavery in America at any cost helped spark the start of the war.

This powerful set of images, based on the artist’s original gouache paintings created in 1941, is notable for its abstract forms, pure colors and minimal, yet evocative, detail.

Presented in memory of Bob Hursh, Board President 1994–96.