Johnson's Artwork Becomes a Stamp

Florence native William H. Johnson’s 1,000-some paintings have been viewed by large audience.

It’s about to get larger.

The United States Postal Service will issue a Johnson stamp this spring. The new stamp, which will picture a still-life, will be issued as a Forever stamp, a collection that is always equal to the value of the First Class Mail one ounce rate (currently 45 cents).

Johnson was born in Florence in 1901. His career moved from its beginnings of copying newspaper comics to studying art in New York and France before traversing parts of North America, Europe and Africa to exhibit his works. He was awarded a gold medal of achievement from the then-renowned William E. Harmon Foundation in 1926, which aided in the cultivation of his fame.

Although Johnson painted in a number of styles, he’s generally recognized as one of the best “primitivists,” an art form noted for both its simplicity and its reliance on so-called primitive subjects and forms.

While most of his works hang in the Smithsonian Institution, the Florence Museum currently houses five paintings by Johnson, who is today recognized for his work in primitivism. The museum is located at 558 Spruce St.

This article  was originally found on scnow.com.