José Joseph Williams’ Child At Playground sold for $1,250 at Swann Auction Galleries 20th Century Fine Art sale on June 26, 2025 in New York City. Born in Birmingham, Ala. and moving to Chicago at age eight, Williams was not only a gifted artist but also a talented musician, playing alto saxophone, tenor saxophone and alto clarinet professionally until he was drafted into the U.S. Army. After two years in the army, he returned to Chicago to earn a B.A. in Printmaking from the University of Illinois at Chicago and an M.S. in Visual Design from the Illinois Institute of Design.
Williams believed art is in everything around us and isn’t “just” art but rather more feeling than form. His artistry was inspired at a young age after observing h…
