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 later to Connecticut. In Connecticut, he became the first painter to work extensively in the colony, serving residents in New London, New Haven, and the Hartford area.
His career eventually took him to Barbados, where he continued to work as a portraitist and received seventy-five pounds a year to play the organ. Johnston died in Bridgetown in April 1772, following a sudden illness.
Artistic Style and Legacy
Johnston's work is characterized by a style similar to his friend John Singleton Copley, often adopting similar poses. His paintings frequently utilize a three-quarter length format, and many of his backgrounds and poses were drawn from English mezzotints of the period. While his style is noted as being more linear than that of Joseph Blackburn, his portraits have historically been so similar to Copley's that at least three of his works were previously misidentified as belonging to the latter.
His notable works include:
Today, his legacy is preserved in several collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Connecticut Historical Society, and the Brooklyn Museum of Art.
アーティストへのQ&A
William Johnstonの作品を年代順に鑑賞できる場所はどこですか？
William Johnstonの作品は、アーティストの作品の年表ページにて、制作年代順にご覧いただけます。
William Johnstonは、どの時代に活動していましたか？
William JohnstonはEarly Modernに活動していました。この時代背景は、その画家の足跡を歴史の中に位置づけるものです。
美術様式別に分類されたWilliam Johnstonの作品は、どこで閲覧できますか？
全ムーブメントページでは、William Johnstonの作品を美術様式別にまとめてご紹介しています。
William Johnstonの出身地はどこですか？
William Johnstonの出身国はBritish North Americaです。
