Growing up in Harlem in the 1930s, Jacob Lawrence was exposed to leading artists of the Harlem Renaissance, who inspired him to delve into the history of his community. Lawrence's War Series (1946–47)—part of the Whitney's collection and some of which is on view now in our seventh floor galleries—exemplifies his feeling that one cannot "tell a story in a single painting." These scenes document both a personal and historical experience, his service in the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II. | W