Family and Friends

Johnson often painted his family and friends. Sometimes his subjects posed for him, but when he was living far away from his family he had to paint from memory. Some of these portraits are detailed and expressive, while others are stark and simplified. Johnson captured the likeness of his subjects and provided clues about their lives through clothing, poses, and background setting.

Jim

Lucy

Folk Family

Three Little Children

Portrait of Fletcher

Peter Joe

William H. Johnson's portraits record the general appearance of his friends and family members, but reveal little about the personality of each individual. Think about someone you know well and write a list of ten words or phrases that describes that person best. Use these words and phrases to create a poem—a written portrait—of the person you have chosen.

Think about how you would make a portrait of yourself (called a self-portrait). What would you wear? How would you pose? Would you include your whole body or just your head? Would you be alone or would you be with other people? What would be the expression on your face? What objects would you include in your portrait to give people information about your interests and your personality? Make a self-portrait using colored markers, crayons, pencils, paint, or collage materials. Share your portrait with your classmates.