The Builders by Jacob Lawrence, 1947. Tempera on board, 20 x 24 inches.

Brilliant, saturated orange-red startles our eyes and commands our attention. The medium is egg tempera, notable for its purity and brilliance. These rectilinear red blocks are played against and interlocked with smaller areas of black, creating a shallow space. Brown and gray-brown patches are used for horizontal beams or plywood panels. Blue is also important, for modeling and for the diagonals that animate the basic compositional grid.

Kloss, William, et al. Art in the White House: A Nation's Pride. Washington, D.C.: The White House Historical Association, 2008.

Gift of the White House Acquisition Trust.