The range of William H. Johnson's art is immense. His styles are as diverse as the realist/impressionist schools, Van Gogh like expressionist landscapes, as well as what has been described as "naive" art. A a child in Florence, S.C., Johnson's love of drawing came from his copying the simple pictures of the daily comics. Johnson's stayed in Florence until 1918, when he migrated North. He arrived at Harlem during the start of the migration and enrolled at the National Academy of Art under Charles Hawthorne and George Lorks. Upon graduation in 1926, Johnson moved to Paris under the urgings of Hawthorne. The European artistic community proved very imprint to to Johnson's development. They urged Johnson to devote his life to his painting. By 1930 his style seems to show signs of change. His brush strokes we elongated and "some what compression", as his paintings took on a Van Gogh like style. 1930 was also the year he married a Potter from Denmark, Holcha Krake.

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