John Henry

Frederick Brown, John Henry, 1979, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Gerald L. Pearson, 1995.22.1, © 1979, Frederick J. Brown
Copied Frederick Brown, John Henry, 1979, oil on canvas, 84 x 60 1⁄8 in. (213.4 x 152.7 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Gerald L. Pearson, 1995.22.1, © 1979, Frederick J. Brown

Artwork Details

Title
John Henry
Artist
Date
1979
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
84 x 60 1⁄8 in. (213.4 x 152.7 cm.)
Copyright
© 1979, Frederick J. Brown
Credit Line
Gift of Gerald L. Pearson
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • African American
  • Animal — dog
  • Architecture — vehicle — train
  • Landscape — celestial — sun
  • Animal — bird — parrot
  • Portrait male — Henry, John
Object Number
1995.22.1
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1995.22.1

Artwork Description

John Henry tells a story of pathos and protest that lives in the folklore and ballads of America. Countless versions exist, but all of them speak of a slave freed at the end of the Civil War who worked for the C&O Railway and possessed near superhuman strength. Brown, who grew up in a blue-collar neighborhood near the steel mills in South Chicago, blends elements of the original John Henry legend with the lives of contemporary steelworkers concerned about layoffs when the American steel industry began outsourcing jobs abroad. Like the narrator in a Greek tragedy, he has linked the story with contemporary experience.


African American Art: Harlem Renaissance, Civil Rights Era, and Beyond, 2012

Exhibitions

Media - 1995.22.1 - SAAM-1995.22.1_1 - 65784
African American Art in the 20th Century
Smithsonian American Art Museum
The Smithsonian American Art Museum is home to one of the most significant collections of African American art in the world.