A Life in Portraiture and Music William Johnston was a colonial American painter born in Boston, Massachusetts, to Thomas Johnston, a japanner, and Rachel Thwing. Before establishing himself as a portraitist, he began his professional life as a musician, serving as the organist at Boston's Christ Church from 1750 to 1753. His artistic journey eventually led him to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where he lived from 1759 until 1762, and lat…
Scroll through William Johnston's working life — artwork by artwork, chapter by chapter — from the earliest dated work to the last. Each thumbnail is pinned at its exact year on the gold axis.
No dated artworks available for this artist.
The ribbon is divided into shaded bands, one per career chapter. Each chapter groups William Johnston's works by their historical period — early training, mature practice, final years.
Every thumbnail is pinned at its precise creation year. A thin gold thread drops from the image to its exact point on the axis. Larger frames mark the artist's masterpieces by rank.
The gradient bar beneath the axis shifts colour as the dominant art movement changes over time — from the warm golds of the early period through the deeper tones of maturity. It fills progressively as you scroll.