American artist John Wilson (1922–2015) was not only a master draftsman, printmaker, painter, and sculptor active for over seven decades, but he was also a keen observer and social activist. In his representations of Black Americans in particular, he sought to pay homage to the beauty and truths of ordinary Black people in such a way that all viewers might see themselves reflected. His multidisciplinary works include unflinching representations of racial violence and war, tender family portraits, monumental bronze sculptures, and landmark commissions such as 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. Reproductions of artworks and photographs accompany critical essays and personal reflections by art historians, Wilson’s peers, and fellow creatives, as well as a full chronology of the artist’s life. 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.”