Self-Portrait

William H. Johnson, Self-Portrait, ca. 1923-1926, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Harmon Foundation, 1967.59.679
Copied William H. Johnson, Self-Portrait, ca. 1923-1926, oil on canvas, 29 3⁄4 x 23 3⁄4 in. (75.5 x 60.4 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Harmon Foundation, 1967.59.679

Artwork Details

Title
Self-Portrait
Artist
Date
ca. 1923-1926
Location
Dimensions
29 3⁄4 x 23 3⁄4 in. (75.5 x 60.4 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of the Harmon Foundation
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • African American
  • Occupation — art — painter
  • Occupation — art — printmaker
  • Portrait male — Johnson, William H. — self-portrait
  • Portrait male — Johnson, William H. — waist length
Object Number
1967.59.679
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1967.59.679

Artwork Description

This self-portrait reflects William H. Johnson’s training at the National Academy of Design. His painting teacher, Charles Hawthorne, encouraged his students to paint with “spots of color,” using a palette knife instead of a brush (Powell, Homecoming: The Art and Life of William H. Johnson, 1991). Here, patches of red, yellow, and blue pigment lift Johnson’s features out of the background and give his self-portrait the somber dignity that the National Academy fostered in its artists.