Celebrate the Art of John Wilson with a New Book from MFA Publications

American artist John Wilson was a master draftsman, printmaker, painter, sculptor, and dedicated social activist. For more than seven decades he honored the beauty and truths of everyday Black Americans in his work, creating striking depictions of racial violence and war, tender family portraits, monumental bronze sculptures, and notable commissions like the bust of Martin Luther King, Jr., in the United States Capitol.

The first major retrospective of the artist’s work, Witnessing Humanity sheds light on Wilson’s life and artistic evolution, and features reproductions of his artworks, photographs, critical essays, and personal reflections from art historians and peers. The varied voices which resonate through this catalogue illustrate that it is long past time to recognize Wilson’s art—to celebrate his lifelong dedication to depicting what he described as the “reality of being Black in this impossible world.”

The publication is available now, both online and in person, and be sure to see the related exhibition, Witnessing Humanity: The Art of John Wilson.

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