Boy’s Sunday Trip

William H. Johnson, Boy's Sunday Trip, ca. 1939-1942, tempera and pen and ink on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Harmon Foundation, 1967.59.1094
Copied William H. Johnson, Boy's Sunday Trip, ca. 1939-1942, tempera and pen and ink on paper, 14 1⁄8 x 17 7⁄8 in. (36.0 x 45.4 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Harmon Foundation, 1967.59.1094

Artwork Details

Title
Boy’s Sunday Trip
Artist
Date
ca. 1939-1942
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
14 1⁄8 x 17 7⁄8 in. (36.0 x 45.4 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of the Harmon Foundation
Mediums
Mediums Description
tempera and pen and ink on paper
Classifications
Subjects
  • Cityscape — New York — New York
  • Children
  • African American
  • Cityscape — river — North River
  • Architecture — boat — barge
  • Architecture Exterior — commercial — skyscraper
Object Number
1967.59.1094
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1967.59.1094

Artwork Description

Posed before river barges and Lower Manhattan's iconic skyline, this dapper troop of African American schoolboys are at home in the urban landscape. William H. Johnson developed his characteristic naïve style after encountering northern European folk art while living in Denmark and Norway with his wife, the Danish artist Holcha Krake. After returning to New York City in 1938, Johnson dedicated himself to the depiction of African Americans, "the painting of my people," with scenes of everyday life in Harlem and with tributes to past and contemporary community leaders and heroes.