Johnson did few landscapes. Of those he did, he seems to have never sent them out on exhibition. Some of them are intimate views of his trips into nature, with sunlight falling on paths that lead through woodland trees or a haze on quiet lakes. None of them are dramatic views of mountains or rivers. He made several of the villages of Nantucket. Some seem to be instances where he painted the backyards of friends or family with a focus on the compositions of angles of planks, stairs, and siding. —PH
American Art Association sale catalogue, 1891: "At a purling spring in the woods a young mother is about to bathe her babe. The little fellow has been disrobed and stands on the edge of the spring, supported by his mother, who lies upon the greensward, laughing at the timidity with which he views the water. At the right an elder sister of the hero of the occasion, with her sleeves turned up, sits ready to assist in the purification of his sturdy little body."
Brooklyn Daily Eagle, December 18, 1873: "'The Woodland Bath,' contributed from Mr. Beecher's collection, is one of the largest and most important compositions painted by Mr. Johnson during the past year. Its story is simple: a mother in the woods in the act of giving her two year old baby a bath in a pool of water, and a young companion, beside her upon the mossy bank, looking on. We doubt the truth of this story. A pool of water in the woods is not exactly the place for a baby's bath, as they are apt to be made by springs, and are, therefore, too cool for comfort. We have do [sic] doubt but what many readers of the Eagle have tried, maybe, an involuntary plunge into such a pool and found it decidedly shocking. That mother is evidently city born and bred, and as she holds the baby over the water, is unprepared for the yell which will greet her ears when the plunge is made. It is well that part of the play is left out of the picture. It can be imagined, however. The scene, as drawn, is all sunshine and we thank the artist for so giving it. The figures of the group are drawn with exceeding care, and that of the baby is exquisitely modeled and painted. The motive, too, of the picture, is high toned and one which appeals to all."
- Subject matter:
- Babies »