Winold Reiss, 16 Sep 1886 - 29 Aug 1953 - Charles Spurgeon Johnson - c. 1925 - T-Shirt

A seated man in round spectacles and a white double-breasted jacket looks past the viewer, held in a composed, unhurried pose.

Visual Elements & Composition

The sitter appears in three-quarter view, his head turned left, framed in a bust-length portrait on a rectangular sheet. Warm brown and rose tones model the face through soft shading, while the white jacket is drawn in fine grey outline against an unbroken cream ground. A dark tie and charcoal accents anchor the figure, and one relaxed hand rests in the lower centre of the sheet. The signature "WINOLD REISS" sits in the lower left corner. Nothing competes with the figure; the clean outline and restrained colour carry the image.

Meaning & Symbolism

The portrait is a formal likeness of Charles Spurgeon Johnson, a sociologist and editor active in Harlem's cultural life in the 1920s. Its emphasis on bearing and presence follows the aims of the period's portrait project, which gave wide visibility in print to African American writers, educators and editors and presented them as individuals of intellect and standing. Winold Reiss, a German-born painter, muralist and portraitist who settled in the United States, made this sheet in pastel and crayon during the mid-1920s, and the original is held in the National Portrait Gallery collection.

Wearing the Portrait Across the Chest

A bust-length portrait is built for the upper body, so on this tee the sitter's head and shoulders sit across the chest, and the white jacket reads clearly from a conversation's distance. The cream ground and grey outline keep the image calm, so the design holds its dignity whether it is seen up close or across a room.