Review | John Wilson's “The Incident”: Studies for a Lynching Mural
Review | John Wilson's “The Incident”: Studies for a Lynching Mural
Yale University Art Gallery
Through May 10
Cristina Francesco
John Wilson, Compositional study for The Incident (detail), 1952. Opaque and transparent watercolor, ink, and graphite, squared for transfer. Yale University Art Gallery, Janet and Simeon Braguin Fund. © Estate of John Wilson.
At the Yale University Art Gallery, an exhibition of works by John Wilson dives into the depths of the racial terror during the 1950s in this country. This fourth-floor solo show includes charcoal drawings, a mural, preparatory sketches, and oil paintings. Wilson’s works force viewers to acknowledge a history of unforgivable lynchings in the way Wilson perceived them—in newspapers when he was younger. He also chose this subject because he was inspired by the activism of Mexican muralists who gravitated toward similarly significant topics.
Curator Seymour H. Knox, Jr. strategically places Wilson’s drawing, The Trial as the first work in the exhibition to plant the first seed of empathy. The Trial portrays a young African American boy standing in front of judges in a courtroom. The boy is shrouded in an evangelical white color while the judges loom over him painted in dark, charcoal colors. An inattentive woman is represented with less nuance, matching her thoughtlessness. This strong painting communicates the boy’s determination to stand against the belittling executioners.
The boy’s determined mindset in spite of his helpless reality stays with viewers as they encounter Wilson’s mural on the wall behind it. The Incident was created in 1952 when racial tensions were dividing the country. This massive piece shows a young African American male slain at the hands of the Ku Klux Klan as his family watches. Wilson creates a strong sense of contrast in this composition, heightening the work’s dramatic tone.
The right half of the mural shows the lynching; in the other half of the mural, the family watches the killing. The texture of the mural is smooth as if to accentuate the action. Viewers see the boy supporting himself through his firm, structured hand. Opposite of that, Wilson’s paint strokes highlight the strain of emotions that exemplify the artist’s attitude toward the scene. Viewers sense Wilson’s empathy in the soft illustration style of an infant in the drawing. This grisaille work is Wilson’s most powerful one in the exhibition, evoking both empathy and anger.
Relief from the heavy mural is provided in Wilson’s sketches which are placed on the same wall. These quick drawings recount fragments of the mural: Thin, sophisticated outlines embellish the harsh charcoal shadings of the sketches.
Overall, the exhibition ties well together except for two pieces. A detailed tree is hung high on the wall, and its dimensional form—created by heavy blue and faint white lines—feels palpable for viewers. Nostalgia for childhood tree climbs turns into guilt as the broken tree connects the history of hangings in this context.
John Wilson, Negro Woman, study for The Incident, 1952. Oil on Masonite. Clark Atlanta University Art Collection, Atlanta Annuals. © Estate of John Wilson. Courtesy Clark Atlanta University Art Collection
Another work, Negro Woman (1952), is an oil painting study for The Incident with sea blue colors in the background and melancholy browns that tone her face. Once again, the attention of viewers gravitates toward Wilson’s heavy brushwork. Wilson’s warm reds and heated sunset oranges radiate off the canvas. While these golden hues construct the woman’s facial features, the black oil paint imbues her hair with a faint texture. The subtlety of this work may cause viewers to momentarily forget the gravity of the nearby mural.
As viewers exit the gallery, they feel smaller than when they came in. Wilson recreates an emotional reality, magnified by the fact that these injustices are still experienced today. The exhibition speaks not only to the art community with its beautiful paintings and sketches but also to society by creating a contemplative space for privilege to perish and empathy to flourish.
John Wilson, Compositional study for The Incident, 1952. Opaque and transparent watercolor, ink, and graphite, squared for transfer. Yale University Art Gallery, Janet and Simeon Braguin Fund. © Estate of John Wilson
Cristina Francisco
Cristina Francisco is a writer — although reading William Zinsser’s classic text On Writing Well for a college course has her reconsidering — a bookworm, and a sophomore at the University of New Haven working on a Music Industry Bachelor of Arts degree. She hopes to pursue a career in music publishing in order to help songwriters and composers. During the short two years that she has called Connecticut home, she has grown fond of New England's fast-paced environment and has come to terms with its unforgiving snowstorms. Francisco was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Midwest native spent her high school years as a student journalist, an experience that fueled her passion for writing as well as her love of researching and learning about people in her community. Francisco also enjoys creative writing and poetry. Her favorite reading genres include history, biographies, and music books. Every summer, she takes on an eleven-hour road trip to visit her hometown, the Queen City. During these trips, she revisits childhood locations and reminiscences with high school friends. Returning to New Haven to her newfound friends, peers, and her obnoxious German Shepard, she holds onto her hometown’s familiar roots as she plants new ones in New England.
