Lessons:
P-6 William H. Johnson
Harlem Street Scene with Full Moon
Overview
- Discuss Harlem Street Scene with Full Moon by William H. Johnson.
- Learn about perspective and how objects are smaller at the horizon line.
- Create a cityscape.
Reflection
- What is the title of your artwork?
Harlem Street Scene with Full Moon (1939-1940), Tempera and pencil on paper, 17.625×14 in. (45.5×35.4 cm.) by William H. Johnson, © William H. Johnson, photo credit: Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, DC / Art Resource, NY
Discussion Presentation
Discussion Questions
What noises would you hear in a city?
Street scenes or cityscapes are often busy with different sounds, like vehicles moving about, even at nighttime when the moon is out.
Where do you think the yellow truck is going?
The truck is small and far away in the background, along the horizon line, where land meets sky. The car moving towards us, is big in the foreground.
Is the blue car really bigger than the yellow truck?
Perspective is what makes us feel like we could walk into the flat painting. The car looks bigger, but it’s actually playing a trick on your eyes! If you hold your hand right in front of your face—it looks bigger than a chair or a person!
Biography
- William H. Johnson (WIL-yum JON-sun) was an American artist from New York.
- He painted daily life of African Americans.
- His style looks like colorful cut-out shapes inspired by folk art.
- He painted the daily life of African Americans during the 1940’s.
1901-1970: Born in South Carolina, William H. Johnson saved money for New York art school before studying in France and Scandinavia. He later returned to Harlem to teach and paint his own people.
Johnson is best known for his modern folk-style, transitioning from realism and expressionism to a vibrant, “primitivist” aesthetic. This style features bright, flat colors and simplified, often rhythmic, cut-out shapes. His work celebrates the African-American experience, depicting both rural Southern life and urban Harlem scenes. By utilizing religious motifs and everyday imagery, Johnson aimed to show the strength, beauty, and cultural richness of his community during the Harlem Renaissance.
Harlem Street Scene with Full Moon highlights his folk-art simplicity and use of perspective. The painting uses warm and cool colors to depict urban life with flat, stylized forms, supporting his goal of capturing the vibrant spirit and community of Harlem.
Project
Materials
- 9×12 sky blue paper
- 9×6 gray paper
- (2) 4×4 assorted paper
- oil pastels
- scissors
- white glue
Warm Up & Brainstorm
- No warmup required.
Project Directions
Big and Small in the City
1. Create a horizon line.
Glue the 9×6 gray paper on the bottom half of the 9×12 sky blue paper to create land and sky.
2. Create big and small objects.
Use oil pastels to draw people, animals, or things on 4×4 square paper.
2A. One big foreground object.
Draw one big person, animal, or object on the 4×4 paper.
2B. 2-3 small background objects.
Draw some small people, animals, or objects on the other 4×4 square paper.
3. Make cutouts.
Cut out the 3-4 drawings.
4. Arrange the small background objects.
Glue the small background objects near the horizon line.
5. Arrange the big foreground object.
Glue the big foreground object near the bottom of the paper.
6. Add city details!
Draw your cityscape.
7. Give artwork a title.
Pre-Lesson Preparation
- Cut 9×12 gray in half.
Day of Lesson Setup
- Perspective exercise: Are they the same size?
1. Hold up both hands in front of your face.
2. Move one hand away from you and close one eye. - Demo drawing one big object on a square and 2-3 small objects on other square.
- Use gray or white oil pastel, do not use pencil or black oil pastel.
No results found.