Johnson’s wife, Elizabeth, no doubt turned his attention to representations of women alone—either in interiors or outside. Such women are often lost in thought and suggest sentient beings with an inner life. In my interviews with descendants of Johnson’s siblings, she is presented as an independent woman. Johnson painted her portrait in which she assumes the posture of a woman who thinks on her own (also see theme 31.3). —PH
Hills opinion letter, 2009: "The turkey’s foot firmly grasps the foot of the young woman, and with seriousness she holds up the bowl and with her right hand cautions the turkey not to attack. She perhaps is training him to do some trick before she will set the bowl down. "
Anderson Galleries sale catalogue, 1924: "A fine specimen is stretching its neck toward a dish held aloft by a young woman standing near a wall."
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