Joshua Johnson (painter) facts for kids

Joshua Johnson (born around 1763, died around 1824) was an American artist. He lived near Baltimore, Maryland. Johnson was known for his unique, self-taught style of painting. He often painted important people from Maryland. He was of African and European heritage.

Discovering Joshua Johnson's Life

John Jacob Anderson and Sons, John and Edward, painted around 1812. This painting is now in the Brooklyn Museum.

For many years, no one knew who painted these special pictures from the 1800s. Then, in 1939, an art historian named J. Hall Pleasants made an exciting discovery. He believed that thirteen portraits were all painted by one artist: Joshua Johnson.

It was hard to learn about Johnson's life at first. People wondered about his background, when he was born, and even if his last name was Johnson or Johnston. But in the mid-1990s, the Maryland Center for History and Culture found new documents. These papers helped us understand more about this mysterious painter.

Early Life and Freedom

Records from 1782 show that Joshua Johnson was the son of a white man and a Black slave woman. His father, George Johnson, bought Joshua when he was 19 years old. This happened in 1782. Joshua's father bought him from William Wheeler, a farmer in Baltimore.

George Johnson wanted his son to be free. He agreed to free Joshua if he finished an apprenticeship (a type of training) with a blacksmith named William Forepaugh. Joshua would also be free when he turned 21, whichever came first. A local judge, Colonel John Moale, signed the freedom papers. Years later, Colonel Moale asked Joshua to paint a portrait of his wife and granddaughter. This painting is called Mrs. John Moale and Her Granddaughter, Ellin North Moale.

Mrs. John Moale (Ellin North) and Her Granddaughter, Ellin North Moale, painted around 1800.

Joshua Johnson became a free man in 1782. By 1796, he started advertising himself as a portrait painter. He also worked as a limner, which means he drew or painted portraits. He moved often, sometimes living near other artists like chair-makers. This suggests he might have painted chairs to earn extra money. His frequent moves also meant he could work for clients in different areas. We don't have records of him going to art school. It's not clear if he knew famous artists like the Peale family.

In 1785, Johnson married his first wife, Sarah. They had four children, two sons and two daughters. Sadly, both daughters died young. By 1803, he was married to a woman named Clara. In 1817, city records listed him as a "Free Householder of Colour." He moved to Frederick County, Maryland in 1825. Two years later, he moved to Anne Arundel County, Maryland. He often moved to follow the people he painted. We don't know much about his life after this last move or when he died.

Joshua Johnson's Artistic Style

Mrs. Abraham White Jr. (Martha Bussey) and Rose Elizabeth White (Mrs. Abner Neale), painted around 1810.

Recent studies show that Johnson was not connected to the famous Peale family of artists. However, his work is sometimes compared to Charles Peale Polk. Polk's paintings were simpler than other Peale family members, much like Johnson's. In an advertisement from 1798, Johnson described himself as "a self-taught genius." He said he learned his art from "nature and industry."

His paintings are more like those of other less famous limners from his time. These artists worked in the mid-Atlantic region. Some of them include John Drinker, Frederick Kemmelmeyer, Jacob Frymire, and Caleb Boyle. Johnson might have known their work well. In 1818, a client asked him to copy a portrait that Boyle had painted.

Johnson's art has also been compared to Ralph Earl. Both artists used similar details in their paintings. They sometimes included brass tacks on furniture, draped curtains, and views of landscapes through open windows. A stronger comparison can be made between Johnson and Earl's son, Ralph Eleaser Whiteside Earl. Both were known for painting family group portraits with many people. This was unusual for American art at that time. Both are seen as important self-taught "folk" artists. We can only guess if they ever met.

The Westwood Children

The Westwood Children, painted around 1807. This painting is at the National Gallery of Art.

One of Johnson's famous paintings is The Westwood Children. It is now in the National Gallery of Art. This painting shows the sons of Margaret and John Westwood. John Westwood was a successful stagecoach maker in Baltimore. The painting shows the three boys holding flowers. A family dog is also in the picture, holding a bird in its mouth. The children have serious, calm expressions. The youngest child looks like he might be about to smile.

Images for kids

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  Grace Allison McCurdy and Her Daughters, Mary Jane and Letitia Grace, painted around 1804.

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  Captain Thomas Sprigg, painted around 1805-1810.