Updated November 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 564 works by William H. Johnson in our catalogue
In short
Lincoln at Gettysburg III (1942) is the William H. Johnson painting that draws the most eyes. After it, the eye goes to Street Life, Harlem (1940) and Going to Church (1941). Among the 564 works of William H. Johnson in our catalog, these 100 are the most famous, each a unique original presented with its year, its museum and the reason it endures.
In this 1942 work, Lincoln at Gettysburg III, the artist William H. Johnson presents a stylized tableau of a significant historical moment. The composition avoids the literalism of traditional portraiture, opting instead for a theatrical arrangement that reimagines the gravity of the American consciousness. It is a quiet, deliberate staging of memory.
The scene unfolds in 1940, captured through the hands of William H. Johnson. In this work, titled Street Life, Harlem, the artist uses oil on plywood to fix a specific moment in time. The texture of the wood provides a sturdy foundation for the figures and the urban environment they inhabit. It is a piece that belongs to the Smithsonian American Art Museum collection in Washington, D.C.
is a painting by the artist William H. Johnson. Created in 1941, the work depicts African-American life within the rural South during the 1940s. The composition focuses on a procession of figures moving through a landscape. A man is positioned at the front, guiding a mule, while other individuals follow behind in a wagon.
In this evocative portrait of the legendary contralto Marian Anderson, the master of the Harlem Renaissance, William H. Johnson weaves a visual tapestry that transcends mere likeness to capture the very soul of an icon. Painted in 1945, the work serves as a profound tribute to a woman whose voice broke through the barriers of racial injustice to enchant the world. Johnson does not merely depict a singer; he constructs…
In this evocative portrait from 1945, the legendary William H. Johnson invites us into a dreamlike landscape where history and myth converge. The painting presents a striking composition featuring two figures standing resolutely upon a dusty, earthen road. While the title pays homage to the indomitable Harriet Tubman, the visual narrative expands into a symbolic tableau of companionship and vigilance. A man stands prominently in the foreground, his hand gripping…
This arresting piece, "Come Unto Me, Little Children," immediately draws the viewer into a scene steeped in profound spiritual resonance. It is not merely an illustration; it feels like a captured moment of communal grace, rendered with an almost visceral immediacy. The composition centers around an elevated figure whose outstretched arms suggest both blessing and welcoming embrace. Surrounding this focal point are figures depicted in postures of deep reverence—kneeling, attentive,…
In 1944, William H. Johnson produced Army Training, a work characterized by a flattened perspective and a rhythmic, horizontal arrangement of figures. A group of men is positioned in a single line across the canvas, their bodies rendered with geometric simplicity. The composition relies on strong, dark outlines to define the silhouettes of the soldiers against a background of warm, earthy tones. Deep yellows, rich browns, and resonant reds dominate…
Volda Fjord, Norway1937
12
Jitterbugs (II)1941
13
City Street Scene1940
14
Jitterbugs (IV)1941
15
Mine Scene1944
16
Sowing (III)1941
17
Off to Market1941
18
Taj, Agra1880
19
Art Class Three Men1940
20
Danish Street with Houses and Tree1934
21
African Woman Study in Tunis1932
22
Portrait (Danish Boy)1932
23
City Gates, Kairouan1932
24
Danish Seaman1932
25
Tunisian Street Scene with Figures and Mosque1932
26
Portrait of a Little Boy1934
27
Mother and Child1945
28
Road in Mountains1938
29
Fright1942 · Smithsonian American Art Museum
30
Male Nude Portrait Bust1940
31
Seated Female Nude in Profile1940
32
Seated Male Model with Blue Turban1940
33
Female Nude Seated on Chair1940
34
Blind Musicians1940
35
Jitterbugs (I)1941
36
Young Farmers1940
37
Standing Woman in Red Bathing Suit1940
38
Killed in Action1942
39
Seated Woman in Blue and Red Dress and Hat1940
40
Woman in Green Sweater on Red Bench1940
41
Three Dancers1940
42
Bearded Male Nude Standing in Supplication Pose1940
43
Paul Robeson's Relations1945
44
Three Great Abolitionists A. Lincoln, F. Douglass, J. Brown1945
45
Ezekiel Saw the Wheel1944
46
Marcus Garvey1945
47
Maternal1944
48
Lift Up Thy Voice and Sing1944
49
Children's Dance1941
50
Teheran Conference1945
51
Swing Low, Sweet Chariot1944
52
Toussaint l'Ouverture, Haiti1945
53
Abraham Lincoln1945
54
Lamentation
55
Barefoot Seated Woman in Green Jacket1940
56
Volunteer Workers1944
57
Farm Couple at Work1944
58
Nat Turner1945
59
Folk Scene Man with Banjo1944
60
Still Life Fruit, Bottles1939
61
Sowing1942 · Gibbes Museum of Art
62
Bust of Man in Blue Jacket and Red Tie1940
63
Study for Sun Setting, Denmark1930
64
John Brown Legend1945
65
Folk Family1940
66
Bearded Kneeling Male Nude1940
67
Bust of Woman with Blue Hair and Green and Red Scarf1940
68
Early Morning Work1940
69
Trees, Fjord and Mountains, Norway1938
70
Henry Lawson1915 · National Portrait Gallery
71
Self Portrait with Pipe1937
72
Jim1930
73
Apple Blossoms, Norheimsund, Hardanger1938
74
Any Person May Kill and Destroy Said Slaves1798 · The Kinsey African American Art - History Collection
75
Family Portrait1944
76
Historical Scene1945
77
Kerteminde Landscape1932
78
Portrait of a Boy1938
79
Farm Couple1940
80
Seated Female Nude in Landscape1940
81
Standing Woman in Red Bathing Suit with Hands on Head1940
82
Crispus Attucks1945
83
Farewell1942
84
Seated Man in Green Chair1940
85
Seated Semi Nude Woman in Purple Playsuit1940
86
Going to Market1940
87
Woman Ironing1944
88
Henry Lawson1915 · National Portrait Gallery
89
Henry Lawson1915 · National Portrait Gallery
90
Seated Female Nude on Brown Chair1940
91
Portrait of Ilya Bolotowsky1930
92
Bazaars behind Church, Oslo1935
93
Under Fire1942
94
Seated Woman in Green and Yellow Dress1940
95
Seated Woman in Red Playsuit1940
96
Peace1940
97
Midnight Sun, Lofoten1937
98
Jolster1936
99
Women Builders1945
100
Off to War1944
The four subjects that come back most often in these originals, each with its finest example.
The 4 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by William H. Johnson | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 National Portrait Gallery |
Canberra | 3 | Henry Lawson, Henry Lawson, Henry Lawson |
 Smithsonian American Art Museum |
Washington, D.C. | 3 | Fright |
 The Kinsey African American Art - History Collection |
Los Angeles | 2 | Any Person May Kill and Destroy Said Slaves |
 Gibbes Museum of Art |
Charleston | 1 | Sowing |
Pick a decade to see the original that defines it.
In this evocative portrait of Henry Lawson, we encounter more than just a likeness; we step into the soul of an Australian icon. Captured in a moment of quiet repose, the subject sits with a gentle, knowing smile that belies the profound hardships depicted in his legendary prose. The photograph, dating from 1915, serves as a window into the life of a man whose words defined the rugged spirit of…
In this 1942 work, Lincoln at Gettysburg III, the artist William H. Johnson presents a stylized tableau of a significant historical moment. The composition avoids the literalism of traditional portraiture, opting instead for a theatrical arrangement that reimagines the gravity of the American consciousness. It is a quiet, deliberate staging of memory.
Lincoln at Gettysburg III (1942). Street Life, Harlem (1940) and Going to Church (1941) come next.
41 years old: Lincoln at Gettysburg III dates from 1942, and William H. Johnson was born in 1901.
Lincoln at Gettysburg III, Street Life, Harlem, Going to Church, Marian Anderson, Harriet Tubman, The Red Road, Kerteminde Harbor, Come Unto Me, Little Children, Army Training and Kerteminde, Denmark. The ranking above gives each one's year and museum.
Our catalog holds 564 works by William H. Johnson, dated from 1915 to 1945.
Mostly in National Portrait Gallery (Canberra), Smithsonian American Art Museum (Washington, D.C.) and The Kinsey African American Art - History Collection (Los Angeles). The museum table above lists them all.
In 1940s: 70 of the 100 works on this page were made then, Lincoln at Gettysburg III among them.
On this page, the earliest is Henry Lawson (1915) and the latest Marian Anderson (1945).
Portrait (16), African american (15) and Folk art (11), across the 100 works on this page.
Oil On Canvas, for 31 of the 100 works on this page.
Harlem renaissance and Modernism, judging by the originals on this page.
Henry Lawson, Henry Lawson and Henry Lawson: the National Portrait Gallery, Canberra holds 3 of the works on this page.
The story of William Henry Johnson is one of profound transformation, a journey that began in the humble landscapes of Florence, South Carolina, and ascended to the heights of the international modernist stage. Born in 1901 into a poor African American family during the era of Jim Crow, Johnson’s early life was shaped by the rhythms of the American South—the spiritual echoes of gospel music, the richness of oral storytelling, and the deep-seated traditions of his heritage. This foundational connection to Black culture would later serve as the heartbeat of his most enduring works, providing a wellspring of imagery that transcended mere representation to reach the realm of the universal.
His path toward artistic mastery was paved with immense personal determination. Moving to New York at the age of seventeen, Johnson worked tirelessly to fund his education at the prestigious National Academy of Design. In the halls of the academy, he mastered the rigorous, classical standards of European tradition, yet his spirit remained tethered to the vibrant textures of his roots. This tension between formal academic training and a yearning for cultural authenticity would become the defining characteristic of his evolving style.
The late 1920s marked a pivotal departure in Johnson’s career as he traveled to Europe, immersing himself in the avant-garde movements of France. It was during this period of wandering and discovery that his brushwork began to shed its classical constraints, embracing the emotional intensity of Expressionism. His time in Scandinavia, particularly his marriage to the Danish artist Holcha Krake, introduced him to the aesthetics of primitivism and folk art. These influences acted as a catalyst, prompting him to simplify forms and utilize bold, unadorned colors to convey deeper psychological truths.
Upon returning to the United States in 1938, Johnson emerged as a vital voice of the Harlem Renaissance. He did not merely observe African American life; he celebrated it through a unique visual language that blended modernist abstraction with a soulful, folk-inspired aesthetic. His canvases became windows into the dignity of the Black experience, utilizing techniques such as impasto to create palpable textures that mirrored the grit and grace of his subjects. Whether depicting the rhythmic energy of dancers in works like Jitterbugs (III) or the serene stillness of a seated figure, Johnson’s work possessed an unmistakable emotional clarity.
The significance of William H. Johnson lies in his ability to weave together disparate worlds—the spiritual and the secular, the local and the global, the classical and the primitive. His oeuvre is a monumental archive of African American identity, featuring subjects that range from historical icons like Harriet Tubman to the everyday beauty of rural landscapes and social gatherings. Notable masterpieces such as The Black Christ demonstrate his profound use of Yoruba symbolism, bridging the gap between ancestral spirituality and contemporary struggle.
Though he faced periods of being overlooked by the mainstream art establishment during his lifetime, Johnson’s legacy has undergone a powerful reclamation. Today, he is recognized not just as a painter of his era, but as a visionary who transformed the language of modernism to honor the resilience of his people. His life remains a testament to the power of art to preserve history, celebrate identity, and find beauty within the most complex human experiences.
