Dr. George Washington Carver

William H. Johnson, Dr. George Washington Carver, ca. 1945, oil on plywood, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Harmon Foundation, 1967.59.597
Copied William H. Johnson, Dr. George Washington Carver, ca. 1945, oil on plywood, 32 1226 34 in. (82.667.9 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Harmon Foundation, 1967.59.597

Artwork Details

Title
Dr. George Washington Carver
Date
ca. 1945
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
32 1226 34 in. (82.667.9 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of the Harmon Foundation
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on plywood
Classifications
Subjects
  • Figure group
  • Portrait male — Roosevelt, Franklin Delano
  • Occupation — science — botanist
  • Portrait male — Carver, George Washington
  • History — United States
  • African American
Object Number
1967.59.597

Artwork Description

The impact of George Washington Carver's (ca. 1864--1943) research on the science of agronomy and specifically on southern agriculture is incalculable. His work on crop rotation--alternating cotton with soybeans, cowpeas, and sweet potatoes to return nitrogen to the soil--revitalized cotton farming after years of declining production. Carver's motivation was not simply to improve the economics of cotton cultivation. He was committed to helping undernourished subsistence farmers improve their yields and grow crops that would improve their diets. He sent students into the countryside to teach cultivation techniques, livestock care, and food preservation practices. They spoke with farmers and passed out informational brochures with recipes for nutritious food. By the early twentieth century, Carver's work developing hundreds of new uses for agricultural products earned international acclaim. At the upper left, Johnson shows him shaking hands with President Franklin Roosevelt; at lower right, he receives an award from Henry Ford. 
 

Exhibitions

Media - 1967.59.1146 - SAAM-1967.59.1146_2 - 141130
Fighters for Freedom: William H. Johnson Picturing Justice
March 8, 2024September 10, 2024
William H. Johnson's Fighters for Freedom series from the mid-1940s is a tribute to African American activists, scientists, teachers, and performers as well as international leaders working to bring peace to the world.