Into Bondage is a powerful depiction of enslaved Africans bound for the Americas. Shackled figures with their heads low walk solemn toward slave ships on the horizon. Yet even in this grave image of oppression, there is hope. In a gesture foreshadowing freedom from slavery, a lone woman at left raises her bound hands, guiding the viewer's eye to the ships. The male figure in the center pauses on the slave block, his face turned toward a beam of light emanating from a lone star in the softly colored sky, possibly suggesting the North Star. The man's strong silhouette breaches the horizon line, communicating strength and optimism. Concentric circles—a motif frequently employed by Aaron Douglas to suggest sound, particularly African and African American song—radiate from a point on the horizon.
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The image above gives off a darker more sinister vibe due to the artists choice to not use color. The shapes used in the background have an irregular pattern and color scheme which could suggest disorganization in the artists life.
