Li'L Sis

In June of 1944, William H. Johnson returned to his mother's home in Florence, South Carolina, for the first time in fourteen years. Devastated by the recent loss of his wife, Danish artist Holcha Krake, he hoped to reconnect with his family. His niece, depicted in Li'L Sis, is one of several portraits of family and friends Johnson painted during his visit. Seemingly simple, these paintings reject Johnson's earlier academic style. Their two-dimensionality and contrasting colors reflect the artist's evolving faith and emotional state as he sought to capture a way to illustrate the spirituality of African American life.

The little girl in this portrait holds a flyswatter, ready to wave away any insects from the baby in her charge. The scumbled yellow background emphasizes the child’s dark skin and focuses our attention on her stalwart pose and grave eyes. William H. Johnson returned to his hometown of Florence, South Carolina, in 1944 to reacquaint himself with his family and to paint scenes from the community he grew up in. The younger children did not know Johnson, however, and his unpredictable behavior and short temper may account for the girl’s uneasy but resolute expression.