Singing Saints

Sargent Johnson was a modernist artist based in San Francisco. He primarily worked as a sculptor but produced lithographs during the late 1930s, when he had access to printing materials through his participation in the Work Progress Administration’s Federal Art Project. Johnson was interested in African art and enjoyed representing the “natural beauty and dignity” of African Americans in contrast to the negative depictions of Black bodies in the media. Johnson was known for his emphasis on the facial features and hairstyles associated with African Americans in his sculpture, also seen here in “Singing Saints,” along with his signature use of abstracted forms and lyrical lines. “Singing Saints” was commissioned by the “San Francisco Chronicle” in 1940 as part of its series of “Chronicle Contemporary Graphics.” The newspaper commissioned San Francisco artists to produce lithographs that were sold for $2.00 each to bring contemporary art to the masses after the Federal Art Project ended. Each of the 150 impressions was signed by the artist. Unfortunately, the series did not sell well—$2.00 was too expensive for many people at the time.