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
William H. Johnson, Self-Portrait, ca. 1923-1926, oil on canvas, 29 3423 34 in. (75.560.4 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Harmon Foundation, 1967.59.679

Artwork Details

Title
Self-Portrait
Date
ca. 1923-1926
Dimensions
29 3423 34 in. (75.560.4 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of the Harmon Foundation
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Portrait male — Johnson, William H. — waist length
  • Portrait male — Johnson, William H. — self-portrait
  • Occupation — art — printmaker
  • Occupation — art — painter
  • African American
Object Number
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.

Works by this artist (5 items)

Peter Blume, Banyan Tree, 1961, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc., 1969.47.7
Banyan Tree
Date1961
oil on canvas
On view
Peter Blume, Vegetable Dinner, 1927, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1984.101
Vegetable Dinner
Date1927
oil on canvas
On view
Peter Blume, Harps, 1932, lithograph on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Director's Discretionary Fund, 1987.10, © 1978, Peter Blume
Harps
Date1932
lithograph on paper
Not on view
Peter Blume, Nude, 1957, brush and ink on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Sara Roby Foundation, 1986.6.10
Nude
Date1957
brush and ink on paper
Not on view