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.

კითხვები და პასუხები

სად შემიძლია William Johnston-ის ყველა ნამუშევრის ნახვა?

ეს ვებსაიტი-ზე წარმოდგენილი William Johnston-ის ყველა ნამუშევრის ნახვა შესაძლებელია ხელოვანის ყველა ნამუშევარი გვერდიდან.

შესაძლებელია თუ არა William Johnston-ის ნამუშევრების მასალების მიხედვით დათვალიერება?

William Johnston-ის ნამუშევრების დათვალიერება ტექნიკის მიხედვით შესაძლებელია ხელოვანის ყველა ტექნიკა გვერდზე.

რა განწყობებს გამოხატავს William Johnston-ის ნამუშევრები?

William Johnston-ის განწყობის სივრცე გვერდი ხელოვანის ნამუშევრებს განწყობის მიხედვით აჯგუფებს.

რა ფსევდონიმებით ან ალტერნატიული სახელებით არის ცნობილი William Johnston?

William Johnston ასევე ცნობილია შემდეგი ალტერნატიული სახელებით: Уильям Джонстон.

მოკლე ტესტი

თითოეულ კითხვაზე მხოლოდ ერთი სწორი პასუხია.

კითხვა 1:
What was William Johnston's first profession before becoming a painter?
კითხვა 2:
In which city was William Johnston born?
კითხვა 3:
Which famous artist was a friend of William Johnston and was six years his junior?
კითხვა 4:
Where did Johnston move in 1770 to continue his work as a portraitist?
კითხვა 5:
Which museum holds two of Johnston's paintings?