“Folk Family,” created by William H. Johnson in 1944, is a genre painting that belongs to the Naïve Art (Primitivism) movement. The artwork depicts a family scene, characterized by its simplistic and bold use of colors and forms.
In the artwork, the artist presents a family of four. A woman is seated on a red chair, wearing a patterned dress with a small child sitting on her knee, dressed in a yellow outfit. The standing man, dressed in a green vest over a white shirt and patched trousers, holds another child in his arm, this child is clothed in a simple pale garment. The figures’ faces are expressive yet stylized, typical of Naïve Art. The background consists of a striped pattern, and the overall composition conveys warmth and unity within the family, despite the simplicity in the depiction of their surroundings and attire.
