The following, submitted June 2005, is from Robert Parsons of Robert Parsons Fine Art, Taos, New Mexico.

William E. Johnson was a painter true to his roots. Depicting a historical view of the West in which he grew up became the basis of his life's work as an illustrator of the Old West. His early years were spent on ranches around Gunnison, Colorado, a scenic area which epitomized the romantic notions of the Old West.

It was in Gunnison that Johnson was to have the good fortune of meeting and studying under the legendary Harvey Dunn, one of the legendary Brandywine illustrators. During the summer of 1947, Dunn was teaching at the Western State College in Gunnison. This experience led Johnson to spend two years with Arthur Mit...