Chain Gang

William H. Johnson, Chain Gang, ca. 1939, oil on plywood, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Harmon Foundation, 1967.59.675
William H. Johnson, Chain Gang, ca. 1939, oil on plywood, 45 3⁄4 x 38 1⁄2 in. (116.2 x 97.7 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Harmon Foundation, 1967.59.675

Artwork Details

Title
Chain Gang
Artist
Date
ca. 1939
Location
Dimensions
45 3⁄4 x 38 1⁄2 in. (116.2 x 97.7 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of the Harmon Foundation
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on plywood
Classifications
Subjects
  • Occupation — crime
  • African American
  • Landscape — road
  • Figure group
Object Number
1967.59.675
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1967.59.675

Artwork Description

In this painting, enormous hands hold scythes, pickaxes, and shovels, symbolizing the brutal work of the chain gang. Johnson may have seen men like this when he was a child in South Carolina, but he might also have chosen this subject while working for the Works Progress Administration, where archivists worked to preserve the stories and songs of the gangs.

Works by this artist (1036 items)

View all artworks
William H. Johnson, Portrait of a Man, ca. 1935-1938, oil on burlap, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Harmon Foundation, 1967.59.814
Portrait of a Man
Artist
Dateca. 1935-1938
oil on burlap
On view
William H. Johnson, Sun Setting, Denmark, ca. 1930, oil on burlap, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Harmon Foundation, 1967.59.720
Sun Setting, Denmark
Artist
Dateca. 1930
oil on burlap
On view
William H. Johnson, Breakdown with Flat Tire, ca. 1940-1941, oil on plywood, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Harmon Foundation, 1967.59.587
Breakdown with Flat Tire
Artist
Dateca. 1940-1941
oil on plywood
On view
William H. Johnson, Ferry Boat Trip, ca. 1943-1944, oil on paperboard, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Harmon Foundation, 1967.59.1011
Ferry Boat Trip
Artist
Dateca. 1943-1944
oil on paperboard
On view