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Open 10:00–5:00

Visit
Open today 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Admission is always free

6th and Constitution Ave NW
Washington, DC 20565

Sculpture Garden Extended Hours

Open late until 8:00 p.m. on select nights
Through September 5
Exhibitions & Events
America’s 250th

Celebrating American art and artists
Art & Artists
Open Call

Artists Reimagining the Collection
Meet the 50 makers selected from more than 1,600 submissions

Breadwinner

1943

John Wilson

Associated Names

John Wilson

Artist, American, 1922 - 2015

The image shows a man seated on a bench. He is holding a piece of paper labeled "DAI," with one arm resting on the back of the bench. He has well-defined facial features, with lines around his mouth and eyes, and is wearing a suit and tie, along with a cap. Beside him on the bench is an open box, and three birds are pecking at the ground near his feet. In the background are bare trees, buildings with chimneys emitting smoke, and two figures walking past a fence. The scene is depicted in black and white.

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Artwork overview

Medium

lithograph on wove paper
Credit Line

Reba and Dave Williams Collection, Gift of the Print Research Foundation
Dimensions

image: 47 × 35 cm (18 1/2 × 13 3/4 in.)
sheet: 57.2 × 43.4 cm (22 1/2 × 17 1/16 in.)
Accession Number

2008.115.556
Copyright

© The Estate of John Wilson

Artwork history & notes

Exhibition History

2026

Witnessing Humanity: The Art of John Wilson, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 2025-2026, fig. 7, repro.

Bibliography

2025

Farrell, Jennifer, King-Hammond, Leslie, Murphy, Patrick, and Saywell, Edward. John Wilson: Witnessing Humanity. Exh. cat. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 2025-2026: 14, 17, 191, 200, fig. 7.

Inscriptions

In pencil: lower right, John Wilson (script) "1943" (in quotes)

Wikidata ID

Q76441007

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