Three Allies in Cairo

William H. Johnson, Three Allies in Cairo, ca. 1945, oil on paperboard, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Harmon Foundation, 1967.59.663
Copied William H. Johnson, Three Allies in Cairo, ca. 1945, oil on paperboard, 28 5⁄8 x 36 1⁄2 in. (72.7 x 92.7 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Harmon Foundation, 1967.59.663

Artwork Details

Title
Three Allies in Cairo
Artist
Date
ca. 1945
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
28 5⁄8 x 36 1⁄2 in. (72.7 x 92.7 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of the Harmon Foundation
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on paperboard
Classifications
Subjects
  • Portrait male — Roosevelt, Franklin Delano — full length
  • Object — other — flag
  • Object — other — flag
  • Portrait male — Chiang Kai-shek — full length
  • Portrait male — Churchill, Winston — full length
  • History — United States — World War II
Object Number
1967.59.663
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1967.59.663

Artwork Description

Johnson copied a photograph from Life magazine to commemorate the historic meeting between U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt (center), Chinese Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek (left), and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill (right) in Cairo in November 1943. Palm trees and pyramids identify the location, as does the green Egyptian flag at the top edge of the painting.

Roosevelt had multiple goals when he invited the Chinese leader and British prime minister to meet. He wanted to confirm U.S. support for China and sketch out a vision for the postwar future in which a world power in each major region of the globe would keep peace. In a photo op following the meeting, the three heads of state issued a press release that confirmed China's status as one of the four allied Great Powers. 

Exhibitions

Media - 1967.59.1146 - SAAM-1967.59.1146_2 - 141130
Fighters for Freedom: William H. Johnson Picturing Justice
March 8, 2024–September 10, 2024
Smithsonian American Art Museum
William H. Johnson's Fighters for Freedom series from the mid-1940s is a tribute to African American activists, scientists, teachers, and performers as well as international leaders working to bring peace to the world.