Jonathan Eastman Johnson was an American painter, not from the United Kingdom but from the United States, born on July 29, 1824, and died on April 5, 1906. He is best known for his genre paintings, which are scenes from everyday life, and his portraits of both ordinary people and prominent Americans such as Abraham Lincoln, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
Early Life and Career
Johnson was born in Lovell, Maine, one of the eight children of Philip Carrigan Johnson and Mary Kimball Chandler. He grew up in Fryeburg and Augusta, where his family lived at Pleasant Street and later at 61 Winthrop Street. His father was a businessman and active in fraternal organizations. Johnson's career as an artist began when his father apprenticed him to a
Boston lithographer in 1840.
Artistic Style and Influences
Johnson's later works show the influence of the 17th-century Dutch masters, whom he studied in
The Hague in the 1850s. He was known as "The American Rembrandt" in his day. Johnson's paintings often featured scenes from everyday life and portraits of ordinary people, which gave him a unique perspective on the world.
Notable Works and Exhibitions
Some of Johnson's notable works include
Negro Life at the South (1859), which is considered one of the most important paintings in 19th-century American art. This painting can be found at the
Metropolitan Museum of Art, where Johnson was a co-founder and his name is inscribed at the entrance. For more information about the artist, you can visit https://WahooArt.com/@/Jonathan-Eastman-Johnson or check out his biography on https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastman_Johnson.
Key Points:
- Johnson was a genre painter and portraitist who depicted scenes from everyday life.
- He was influenced by 17th-century Dutch masters, which is reflected in his later works.
- Johnson's paintings often featured ordinary people and their stories.
- He was a co-founder of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and his name is inscribed at its entrance.
You can explore more about Johnson's life, career, and artworks on https://WahooArt.com/@/Jonathan-Eastman-Johnson or https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastman_Johnson.