Johnson and Alice Smoot, who were both laborers. Johnson realized his dreams of becoming an
artist at a young age, copying cartoons from the paper as a child. However, as the oldest of the
family's five children, who lived in a poor, segregated town in the South, Johnson tucked away
his aspirations of becoming an artist, deeming them unrealistic. But Johnson finally left South
Carolina in 1918, at the age of 17, to pursue his dreams in New York City. There, he enrolled at
the National Academy of Design and met Charles Webster Hawthorne, a well-known artist who
took Johnson under his wing. While Hawthorne recognized Johnson's talent, he …show more content…
Pritchett . William H Johnson William H Johnson was born march 18th of 1901 in Florence, South Carolina. To parents Henry Johnson and Alice Smoot, who were both laborers. Johnson realized his dreams of becoming an artist at a young age, copying cartoons from the paper as a child. However, as the oldest of the family's five children, who lived in a poor, segregated town in the South, Johnson tucked away his aspirations of becoming an artist, deeming them unrealistic. But Johnson finally left South Carolina in 1918, at the age of 17, to pursue his dreams in New York City. There, he enrolled at the National Academy of Design and met Charles Webster Hawthorne, a well-known artist who took Johnson under his wing. While Hawthorne recognized Johnson's talent, he knew that Johnson would have a difficult time excelling as an African-American artist in the United States, and thus raised enough money to send the young artist to Paris, France, upon his graduation in 1926. He then began his passion for painting after William H Johnson graduated After arriving in Paris, William H. Johnson was exposed to a greater variety of art and culture. Renting a studio on the French Riviera, Johnson met other artists who influenced his style of artwork, including German expressionist sculptor Christoph Voll Johnson met textile artist Holcha Krake, whom he would eventually marry .After several years in Paris, in 1930, Johnson ventured back to the United States with a newfound desire to establish himself in the art scene of his home country. While his unique form of artwork was appreciated when he returned to