William H Johnson
January 21, 2014
William H Johnson was born on March 18, 1901 in Florence, South Carolina. He is the son of two labored parents named Henry Johnson and Alice Smoot. He was the oldest from his siblings. They lived in a needy separate town in South Carolina. Most of his life was spent in South Carolina, until he realized painting was his dream. He was 17 years old when he left to follow his dreams in New York City. Visited Europe and met Holcha Krake, who later got married in the late 1930’s. He did not have any children. Later she passed away from breast cancer. Due to his wife’s death he became mentally and physically unstable. He still managed to create artwork that would be appreciated for many years. He went from one location to another attempting to find comfort and stability after the loss of his wife. In 1947, he was hospitalized 23 years of his life in Norway, where in 1970 he died in Central Islip, New York. After his death, his entire life's work was almost disposed of to save storage fees, but it was rescued by friends at the last moment. Over a thousand paintings by Johnson are now part of the collection of the Smithsonian Institution's Smithsonian American Art Museum.)
William Henry Johnson was an artist who made painting to explain the experience of African-Americans for the Harlem Renaissance during the 1940’s. William’s paintings of African American in the U.S began to gain attention after they were showcased in exhibitions. Fighters for Freedom" featuring American leaders George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Johnson took a job as an art teacher at the Harlem Community Art Center. He continued to create art in his spare time such as displaying colors and two dimensional objects. William often included portrayals of African American’s life in Harlem Renaissance, the south and the military. A fire destroyed Johnson’s studio in 1942, it left his artwork and supplies to ashes. They had moved to avoid any conflict with the
William H Johnson was born on March 18, 1901 in Florence, South Carolina. He is the son of two labored parents named Henry Johnson and Alice Smoot. He was the oldest from his siblings. They lived in a needy separate town in South Carolina. Most of his life was spent in South Carolina, until he realized painting was his dream. He was 17 years old when he left to follow his dreams in New York City. Visited Europe and met Holcha Krake, who later got married in the late 1930’s. He did not have any children. Later she passed away from breast cancer. Due to his wife’s death he became mentally and physically unstable. He still managed to create artwork that would be appreciated for many years. He went from one location to another attempting to find comfort and stability after the loss of his wife. In 1947, he was hospitalized 23 years of his life in Norway, where in 1970 he died in Central Islip, New York. After his death, his entire life's work was almost disposed of to save storage fees, but it was rescued by friends at the last moment. Over a thousand paintings by Johnson are now part of the collection of the Smithsonian Institution's Smithsonian American Art Museum.)
William Henry Johnson was an artist who made painting to explain the experience of African-Americans for the Harlem Renaissance during the 1940’s. William’s paintings of African American in the U.S began to gain attention after they were showcased in exhibitions. Fighters for Freedom" featuring American leaders George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Johnson took a job as an art teacher at the Harlem Community Art Center. He continued to create art in his spare time such as displaying colors and two dimensional objects. William often included portrayals of African American’s life in Harlem Renaissance, the south and the military. A fire destroyed Johnson’s studio in 1942, it left his artwork and supplies to ashes. They had moved to avoid any conflict with the