What does a filmmaker see in a painting created nearly a century before her time?
Standing before Aaron Douglas's powerful portrait of Harriet Tubman, director Kasi Lemmons discovers a striking connection. The Harriet she brought to the screen in Harriet is the same woman she sees in Douglas's work: not a softened historical figure, but a fearless freedom fighter whose courage was greater than her fear.
From the Harlem Renaissance to contemporary cinema, Douglas and Lemmons share a vision of Tubman as a living force, fierce, determined, and profoundly heroic.
Watch as Lemmons reflects on art, history, cultural memory, and the enduring power of one of America's most extraordinary figures.
Aaron Douglas's Harriet Tubman is offered in the Modern Evening Auction, presented in parternship with CELINE, at Sotheby's New York on 18 November 2026, on the occasion of Bennett College's centennial. Proceeds support the college's future growth, its Women's Health Initiative and student success.