David and Goliath 1944

William H. Johnson made this painting, David and Goliath, with tempera, using bold, flat shapes of color like a kid who's just discovered the joy of painting! I can imagine him starting with those big planes of color, the ground, the mountains, the sun, and then adding the figures, letting the paint guide his hand. Johnson's figures are so cool, so expressive, and so full of life. He uses this simplified style, right? But somehow, it makes the story even more powerful. I wonder what Johnson was thinking about when he made this. I see the influence of folk art and African art and maybe even a bit of early modernism, but it's all mixed together in his own unique way. Like he’s saying something essential about the human spirit. It feels like he's part of a conversation with other artists across time, all trying to make sense of the world through paint.