MYSTERY PHOTO:  Who painted this?

This excerpt of a painting of a South Carolina scene may look like a watercolor, but it isn’t.  But it should look familiar.  Who painted it and what is it?  Send your guess to:  editor@charlestoncurrents.com.  And don’t forget to include your name and the town in which you live.

Our previous Mystery Photo

Our Nov. 19 mystery, “Who is this guy?” is a photo of Jasper Johns, a world-famous artist recognized as South Carolina’s own (despite the fact that he was actually born in Augusta.)  See this week’s Encyclopedia to learn more.

A holiday thanks to the photo sleuths who correctly identified Johns: Cheryl Smithem of Summerville; James McMahan and Susu Ravenel, both of Charleston; and George Graf of Palmyra, Va.

Smithem told us: “I worked with his sister Owen Riley Lee at the Spoleto festival USA in 1980 and she always called him JAP.  He’s a South Carolina icon.”

Graf provided more context: “Johns is one of the greatest American artists and among the most prominent artists of the 20th century. In 1990, he was awarded the National Medal of Arts. On Feb. 15, 2011 Johns received the highest civilian honor in the United States, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, from President Barack Obama. Today, he remains at the forefront of American art and his work is represented in nearly every major museum collection.  South Carolinians look with pride on the achievements of Jasper Johns, an internationally known artist who has astonished critics and collectors alike with the beauty, invention, and intelligence of his work.”

• Send us a mystery:  If you have a photo that you believe will stump readers, send it along (but make sure to tell us what it is because it may stump us too!)   Send it along to  editor@charlestoncurrents.com.