Lester Johnson (American, 1919-2010). Charcoal on paper drawing depicting a crowd of figures wearing bowler hats depicted in loose abstract white lines. Signed along the lower center.

Lester Johnson, a prominent American artist and educator known for his figurative expressionist style, was born in Minneapolis in 1919. He studied at the Minneapolis School of Art under Alexander Masley and later moved to New York City, where he became associated with the Second Generation of the New York School, sharing spaces with artists like Larry Rivers and Wolf Kahn. Johnson's career included teaching positions at Ohio State University and Yale, where he served as Director of Studies Graduate Painting from 1969 to 1974, before retiring in 1989.
Sight; height: 39 1/4 in x width: 29 1/2 in. Framed; height: 40 1/4 in x width: 30 1/4 in x depth: 1 1/2 in. The colors are bold and deep. There are no visible tears, creases, losses, or restorations. Some wear to the extreme edges of the work where the frame rubs against the surface. Framed under glass; light wear to the frame. There is some dust gathered along the interior of the frame. Not inspected out of frame. Some light wear to the frame.