In addition to his scenes of everyday life and portraits of people, Johnson created images of historical events and figures from works of literature, drama, and music. For example, “Carry Me, and I’ll Drum You Through” was inspired by an incident from the Battle of Antietam, 1862, and Membership Vote at the Union League Club, May 11, 1876, recorded a contentious meeting in which he participated much later. His Marguerite, Cosette, and Minnehaha are personifications of fictional heroines from novels and poetry. His Boy Lincoln represents both the future United States president and the archetypical American youth who, with determination and hard work, could succeed. Johnson rendered several of these imaginative images as both paintings and drawings. These literary and historical works evince both his personal interest in those subjects and his awareness of their popularity with the broad public. —AM
MacGibeny, 2021: This painting was the source for a popular chromolithograph, Whittier's Barefoot Boy, made by Louis Prang & Co. John Greenleaf Whittier's poem "The Barefoot Boy" had been illustrated with a similar image of a boy outdoors when first published in The Little Pilgrim, Philadelphia, 1855. See the linked image of the newspaper illustration, and the Works After This Work tab for the chromolithograph.
Louis Prang sale catalogue, 1870:
"Blessings on thee, little man.
Barefoot Boy, with cheeks of tan.
"The gem of the collection, and truly a representative American picture. Mr. Whittier calls it 'a charming illustration' of his little poem, and the cordial reception given to the chromo, proves that poet and painter have touched a cord in the heart of the people. Next to Mr. Tait's 'Group of Chicken's [sic],' there is not another picture in the U.S., as well and as favorably known as Mr. E. Johnson's 'Whittier's Barefoot Boy.'"
- Subject matter:
Also owned by: Boston Public Library, Boston; Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (2003664015)
See all Prints after Works by Johnson.