Johnson moved to The Hague in 1851. On November 20, 1851, he wrote to Andrew Warner of the American Art-Union, “I am at present . . . at the Hague, where I find I am deriving much advantage from studying the splendid works of Rembrandt & a few other of the old Dutch masters, who I find are only to be seen in Holland. I shall probably continue here a good portion of the winter" [Adapted from Hills, The Genre Painting of Eastman Johnson, pp. 40–41].
He made free copies after Rembrandt, Van Dyke, and the contemporary Belgian painter Louis Gallait. He stayed in the Netherlands until 1855 and developed a profitable career as a portrait painter. —PH
Hills, 2022: Although John I. H. Baur owned and annotated a copy of the catalogue of Johnson's 1907 Estate Sale, he did not include this work in his own 1940 catalogue listing; he must have obtained it after publication.
"Signed at the lower right, E. Johnson.
Height, 17 inches; length, 19 inches"
[Annotation: “27.50”]
Prince Rupert of the Palatinate (1619–1682). Nephew of Charles I of England and cousin of Prince Charles.