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.
Q&A
William Johnston의 작품을 연도순으로 어디에서 볼 수 있나요?
William Johnston의 작품은 작품 연대기 페이지에서 연도순으로 확인하실 수 있습니다.
William Johnston은(는) 어느 시대의 작품을 남겼나요?
William Johnston은(는) Early Modern 시대에 활동했습니다. 이 시기는 역사적 맥락 속에서 작가의 예술적 위치를 보여줍니다.
미술 사조별로 분류된 William Johnston의 작품은 어디에서 볼 수 있나요?
모든 미술 사조 페이지에서는 William Johnston의 작품을 예술 사조별로 모아 볼 수 있습니다.
William Johnston 작가의 국적은 어디인가요?
William Johnston은(는) British North America 출신입니다.
