William Henry Johnson

born Florence, SC 1901 –
died Central Islip, NY 1970

Artist William H. Johnson, best known for his contributions to the Harlem Renaissance, has finally begun to merit a level of acclaim that the artist never garnered during his lifetime. At the age of 17, Johnson left his hometown of Florence, South Carolina to study at the National Academy of Design and subsequently traveled to Europe; producing and exhibiting art that reflected the styles and attitudes of the world around him. Fearing the imminent onset of war in Europe, Johnson returned to the United States in 1938. Over the next decade, his art transformed into the intense, “primitivist” style he is recognized for today. Both vibrant and somber, these abstract paintings depict the African-American experience from both a historical and personal perspective. Johnson’s body of work is as prolific as it is diverse. The Smithsonian American Art Museum has over 1,000 works in its collection. Johnson’s work can also be found in the collections of several historically black colleges and universities throughout the United States.

The Florence County Museum’s collection proudly features 39 works by Johnson, representing distinct periods of the artist’s development. Our holdings include 15 paintings and 16 works on paper, plus a rare set of ceramics created by Johnson in the 1930s. In addition to works created by Johnson, the museum owns numerous works by Johnson’s wife, Holcha Krake, and his brother-in-law, the German Expressionist, Christoph Voll, as well as other supporting artworks and archival materials.

The Florence County Museum is committed to preserving the legacy of William H. Johnson’s life and work through collections, exhibitions, research, and educational programs. During our grand opening in 2014, we partnered with the Smithsonian American Art Museum to secure loans of the artist’s work for William H. Johnson: New Beginnings.  Subsequently, we loaned works from other institutions to supplement the museum’s collection to curate several William Henry Johnson exhibitions.

Our latest Johnson exhibition, Fighters for Freedom: William H. Johnson Picturing Justice, opened in March of 2025. This traveling exhibition, curated by the Smithsonian American Art Museum, showcases Johnson’s later iconographic series by the same name and will be on display through early August of 2025.

Below you will find a complete list of FCM exhibitions focused on William Henry Johnson.

photograph of William H. Johnson
c. 1920s
Image courtesy of William H. Johnson papers, 1922-1972, bulk 1926-1956. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

For more on the William H. Johnson’s early life in Florence, SC, please check out these additional articles.

https://www.flocomuseum.org/about-william-h-johnson/william-h-johnson-biography-p1/
https://www.flocomuseum.org/about-william-h-johnson/william-h-johnson-biography-p2/
https://www.flocomuseum.org/about-william-h-johnson/william-h-johnson-biography-p3/