The Divergent Path of a Scholar Born in Hopewell, Virginia, Robert Johnson was shaped by a family deeply rooted in the visual arts. His mother possessed a love for painting, and his brother, Ben, would eventually find distinction as a director of conservation for the Los Angeles County Museum. While his early years were marked by an instinctive pull toward the canvas, his path was not a direct one. He was a man of both intellect and physical prowess, attending Duke University on a football scholarship and later navigating the rigorous studies of Duke Law School. Yet, the quiet pull of the bru…