William H. Johnson (1901-1970) was born into a poor family in South Carolina. He moved to New York at age 17 and worked his way through the National Academy of Design. He spent the late 1920s and most of the 1930s in Europe, absorbing the lessons of modernism and developing an interest in primitivism and folk art. He returned to the United States in 1938, concentrating on painting scenes of African American tradition with eloquent simplicity. More than one thousand paintings by Johnson are part of the collection of the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
All items indicated as gifts are wrapped in high-quality gift wrap before placement in secure packaging for shipping.
NOTE: To request gift wrapping for part or all of any order, please add this item to your cart prior to checking out. During checkout you can specify any additional gift wrapping instructions.
You can now pre-order you favorite local artists' handcrafted work directly from the Princeton University Art Museum Store!
Provide your name and contact information, as well as a brief description of the piece you are interested in. Please allow time for us to coordinate with our artists on the production and delivery of your custom order. We will be in contact with you as soon as possible.
Let the Art Museum give something to you!
In good times and bad, great art can be a source of solace, strength, and connection.
Sign up now for a year long membership!
