The earliest recorded portrait drawing of a known individual by Johnson is Henry Sewell, done in Augusta, Maine, and dated November 26, 1844. Already in 1844, when Johnson was twenty, this work shows the artist's superb use of charcoal (black chalk) to highlight the lights and shadow that capture the three-dimensionality of his sitter. This talent may have been initiated from the time he worked in a lithography shop in Boston, and also the availability of mezzotints.
The Sewell portrait also shows Johnson’s understanding of anatomy in the sitter’s facial structure. During this period, 1844–1949, Johnson almost always used charcoal (black chalk) for his portraits. Some are half-length portraits including hands, but the majority are heads (and necks) alone. He took about three days to complete a charcoal portrait. The style of the time was to present portraits in oval frames.
See Technical Information on Johnson's Practices for a discussion of charcoal, black chalk, crayon, and pastel. —PH
Hills, 2022: The date of c.1845–46 is based on the maturity of the drawing. Johnson was only 17 in 1842, and there are no known Johnson drawings dated before 1844.
MacGibeny, 2022: Although this drawing is inscribed "Judge Peters/Clerk Supreme Court U.S.," the sitter was neither a judge nor a clerk. Instead, research by the National Gallery of Art reveals that he was a Court reporter and son of Judge Richard Peters, a federal judge. The younger Peters was dismissed by the Supreme Court in 1843 due in part to concerns about the accuracy of his reports.
Note that the National Gallery of Art dates this drawing c.1842, before Peters was terminated from the Supreme Court in 1843. Patricia Hills bases her date of c. 1845–1846 on the maturity of the drawing (Johnson was only seventeen in 1842) and the fact that there are no known Johnson drawings before 1844.
Where the drawing was made is not known for certain, but it likely was Philadelphia or Washington, D.C. Peters lived in Philadelphia, and Johnson lived in Washington 1845–1846. If Johnson traveled to Philadelphia, it is not clear exactly when or why he would have made the trip; similarly, it is not clear why Peters would have traveled to Washington after being terminated from the Court in 1843.
November 4, 2015: Same soft grey in background. Crosshatching on face. Strong shadows at right. Highlights on eyes. Complex shadows on right.
Richard Peters (1780–1848). Reporter of Decisions for U.S. Supreme Court until his termination in 1843. Son of Judge Richard Peters (1744–1828).
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