American

Eastman Johnson

U.S. 1824-1906
In Gentle Slumber 29.0551

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Eastman Johnson's preferred subject matter was the human figure in a particular setting-a mother rocking her child, a woman picking flowers, workers at harvest, maple-sugaring scenes, cranberry pickers, an old man brooding by the fire. This form of genre painting became especially popular in the 1850s for patrons who wanted scenes of American life that were easily understood and that fostered ideal thoughts and sentiments. This painting portrays an unidentified little girl in slumber, but rendered with the specificity of a portrait. Johnson's figural scenes can be distinguished from those of his contemporary, Winslow Homer by the care he takes with the human face-a top priority for Johnson, who wished to endow each of his figures with individuality. Like several other American artists, Jonathan Eastman Johnson (he rarely used his first name) was trained in the graphic arts, being employed at the age of sixteen to a lithographer in Boston. He became dissatisfied with lithography and began drawing portraits for a living. Like Albert Bierstadt before him, Johnson's desire for formal art training eventually caused him to leave for Europe to study at the Düsseldorf Academy. He continued his studies in Paris, Italy, and the Hague, where he was offered (but declined) the position of Court Painter. After six years in Europe, Johnson returned to the America.

 

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