Catalogue Entry
Young boys have been a traditional staples of genre painting. To patrons of art during the mid-nineteenth century these youths recalled memories of their own growing years in which innocence was becoming more and more modified by mischievous cunning. —PH
Hills opinion letter, 2008: "It is a private moment for the young, blond boy depicted. He kneels on a small, upholstered bench and is absorbed in reading his book. His eyes look down (Johnson's subjects often avert the eyes of the viewer) and his features are delicately wrought. The details of the small bench are exquisite, with the brass tacks, green fringe, and pale blue highlights on the legs of the bench all rendered with great finesse. The application of paint is characteristic, with thin passages of paint in the background and greater applications on other areas. In the background is a table covered with a red cloth and a patterned rug rests on the floor. A painting hangs on the wall behind at the left appears to be a door frame. Johnson was a master of depicting figures emerging from the dim light of a Victorian interior."
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