William Aiken Walker

A study of the South Carolina native’s life as an artist and as a man, with 157 color illustrations and fifty-eight black-and-white paintings and drawings.

Born in South Carolina in 1838, William Aiken Walker remains one of the South’s most gifted and treasured artists. Though mostly known for his breathtaking depictions of Black Southerners following the Civil War, he is also recognized for his lush and vivid landscapes, which capture the eye and the imagination.

After serving in the Confederate Army during the Civil War, Walker traveled throughout the South to sell his paintings to tourists in areas such as New Orleans, Charleston, and cities across Georgia. In those years, he created the most extensive record of Black life of the period and permanently influenced art in the South.

With 157 color illustrations and fifty-eight black-and-white paintings and drawings, William Aiken Walker is a remarkable documentary of Walker’s life as an artist and as a man. First published in 1972, this book is now presented by Pelican in a stunning new edition that includes scores of color photographs not used in the previous edition.

Praise for William Aiken Walker: Southern Genre Painter

“Now in a new and expanded edition . . . William Aiken Walker: Southern Genre Painter is an informed and informative history of his life and work, enhanced with the inclusion of 157 color illustrations and 58 black-and-white paintings and drawing. . . . An ideal memorial tribute to a truly talented 19th century American painter.” —The Midwest Book Review 

“[Toledano] has brought Walker . . . back to life for art lovers the world over.” —The Hook