Florence Native was Renowed Painter
Published Apr 17, 2008
William H. Johnson’s birthplace is commemorated in a new historical marker at Palmetto and Kemp streets.
Florence native William H. Johnson has been called one of the foremost African-American artists of his generation.
“He was a remarkable man,” says Peggy Brown, a member of the Florence County Historical Commission. “He was way ahead of his time with all the things he overcame.”
Born to a poor family in 1901, Johnson’s love for art came early in life.
“The arts weren’t usually taught when he was a youth at an all-black school here,” Brown says. “But he had a teacher who loved the arts and started teaching some simple drawing classes. That’s where his love for art began.”
Johnson left Florence at age 17 and moved to New York City. He worked a variety of jobs and saved enough money to attend the prestigious National Academy of Design, where his painting skills won him numerous awards and earned him the respect of his peers and instructors.
After graduation, Johnson worked in France and Scandinavia and married a Danish artist named Holcha Krake. The two returned to the United States in 1938, and Johnson began concentrating on painting the traditions of Afro-America.
“He’s best-known for his paintings of Scandinavian landscapes and folk art of African-American daily life,” Brown says.
Johnson’s physical and emotional health declined dramatically after his wife died in 1944, and he spent the last 23 years of his life in a Long Island state hospital before he died in 1970. More than a thousand of his paintings are part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s collection in Washington, D.C.
Florence honored Johnson’s legacy in March 2007 by placing a historical marker at the corner of Palmetto and Kemp streets. Reproductions of some of his best-known works were exhibited at McLeod Regional Medical Center during the year.
“The hospital was involved because Johnson was born on the hospital property,” Brown says. “We had a huge event at the marker site and a beautiful hors d’oeuvres reception on the hospital plaza.”
Story by Jessica Mozo
Photo by Rebecca J. Ducker
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