Catalogue Entry
Johnson was thirty-six years old when the Civil War began. Although he did not serve in the Union Army, he followed the Union troops in search of subjects that would appeal to a pro-Union audience. He also painted pictures of the homefront. —PH
Christie's sale catalogue excerpt, 2005: "Johnson depicts a child whose young age is emphasized by a uniform that overwhelms his body with an overloaded pack and weaponry at his side and a rifle larger than himself. He stands with a determined and hopeful gaze, highlighted by the rays of sun upon his face. He stands outside a late summer garden resplendent with sunflowers and hollyhocks. While his canteen and pack are of standard Federal issue, he carries a German-made musket and an old French flint-lock pistol, both converted to a percussion action. The boy's youth and the inclusion of imported arms may be a comment on the depletion of men and materials during the last months of the war. Moreover, he wears a distinctive low-crowned officer's kepi, perhaps a remnant previously lost at the front."
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