The artwork entitled “Church on Lenox Avenue,” created by William H. Johnson in the year 1940, is a notable piece that resides within the Expressionism and Naïve Art (Primitivism) movements. This cityscape genre painting vividly captures an urban scene, exuding vibrancy through its use of bold colors and simplified forms which are characteristic of Johnson’s distinctive style.
In the artwork, one immediately notices the prominent church structure at the center, delineated by its high, pointed steeples rendered in blues and earthy tones. Surrounding the church are various buildings in warm, contrasting hues of reds, yellows, and browns. The simplicity of the forms and the exaggerated color palette imbue the piece with a sense of sincerity and raw emotional expression, hallmarks of both the Expressionist movement and Naïve Art. Through Johnson’s brushwork, the urban landscape is infused with a sense of life and spiritual resonance, drawing the viewer’s attention to the central religious edifice amidst the bustling city environment.
