September 20, 2025–February 8, 2026
The Met
John Wilson (1922–2015) stands as a monumental figure in American art, whose career spanned more than six decades of creation deeply rooted in the experience of Black Americans and their ongoing struggles for racial, social, and economic justice. This exhibition, “Witnessing Humanity: The Art of John Wilson“, opens an expansive window into the artist’s evocative and poetic body of work, charting his journey as a Black American artist who confronted injustice through a powerful figurative style.
From the outset of his career, Wilson challenged the scarcity of positive representation of Black Americans in both museums and popular culture. As a teenager, he recognized this glaring absence and dedicated his art to celebrating Black dignity and strength. His work encompasses a wide variety of themes including racial violence, labor, the Civil Rights Movement, street life, and intimate portrayals of family, with a special emphasis on fatherhood. Wilson pursued his vision of portraying what he called “a universal humanity,” transcending division through deeply humanized imagery.
This major retrospective exhibition features over 100 artworks that span Wilson’s career — many never before seen by the public. Beginning with his early work created during his studies in Boston, the show explores his depiction of the harsh realities of Nazi Germany and American racial oppression, alongside tender portraits of family and community. The journey continues through Wilson’s time in Paris, Mexico City, and New York, illustrating the broad geographic and thematic scope of his practice. The exhibition culminates with his late work upon returning to Boston, highlighting his focus on portraiture and his celebrated monumental sculptures, including the maquettes and preparatory materials for his iconic Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. sculpture housed at the U.S. Capitol, as well as Eternal Presence.
The exhibition is notable not only for its comprehensive scope but also because it marks the first solo museum show of John Wilson’s work in New York. Visitors can expect to encounter an extraordinary range of media—including paintings, prints, drawings, sculpture, children’s book illustrations, and archival materials—that collectively attest to Wilson’s profound impact on American art and cultural history.
Witnessing Humanity is organized collaboratively by The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. It offers a pivotal opportunity to recognize and reflect on an artist whose work continues to resonate deeply in contemporary discussions of representation, identity, and social justice.
For more information, please visit the official exhibition page.
