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Eastman Johnson Catalogue Raisonné
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Photo: Courtesy of Sotheby’s, Inc. © 2021
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26.7 Old Men Reading
In the mid-1870s, Johnson took up the subject of old men reading, sometimes seen outdoors but usually indoors. The large size of the books suggests that the men are reading the Bible. With their suggestion of time passing and the solace of faith, such works are a solemn contrast to the joie de vivre of works such as the Old Stage Coach, which depicts young children using the relics of the past as their playground. —PH
Hills no. 26.7.3
A Quiet Hour
Alternate titles: possibly "Dropping Off"; possibly Dropping Off; October
1873
Oil on board
18 x 15 1/2 in. (45.7 x 39.4 cm)
Signed and dated lower left: E. Johnson/1873
Provenance
Possibly R. H. Stoddard, by 1877
Kennedy Galleries, Inc., New York, until May 1965 (as A Quiet Hour)
Graham Williford, Fairfield, Texas, May 1965 (by purchase)
Vose Galleries, Boston, November 13, 1965 (by trade, as A Quiet Hour)
Graham Williford, Fairfield, Texas, October 5, 1967 (by purchase)
Hamilton Galleries, New York
Private collection, by September 1971
[Sotheby Parke Bernet Inc., New York, January 24, 1973, Americana Week, Sale 3467, lot 87 (as A Quiet Hour)]
Private collection, by 1985
Sotheby's, May 30, 1985, Important American Paintings, Drawings and Sculpture, lot 60 (as A Quiet Hour); bought in
[Sotheby's, May 28, 1987, Sale 5584, Important American Paintings, Drawings and Sculpture, lot 66 (as A Quiet Hour)]
Unidentified dealer, May 28, 1987
Present whereabouts unknown
Exhibitions
1873c Century Association
Century Association, New York, April 5, 1873, no. 5, [possibly, as Dropping Off].1877b NAD
National Academy of Design, New York, Annual Exhibition, April 3–June 2, 1877. (NAD 1877b); (NAD 1877c), no. 438, [possibly, as "Dropping Off", owner R. H. Stoddard].1907a Century Association
Century Association, New York, Memorial Exhibition of Eastman Johnson, February 9–13, 1907, [possibly, as Dropping Off or A Quiet Hour].1979 Hammer Galleries
Hammer Galleries, New York, The American Collector, February 6–March 3, 1979.References
New York Times 1877
"The Academy of Design: A Morning View of the Pictures." New York Times, April 13, 1877, p. 2 [possibly, as Dropping Off].NAD 1877b
National Academy of Design. Illustrated Catalogue of the 52nd Annual Exhibition. New York: National Academy of Design, 1877. Exhibition catalogue (1877b NAD), no. 438 [possibly, as Dropping Off].Kennedy Galleries 1920
Catalogue of an Exhibition of Charcoal Drawings by Eastman Johnson. New York: Kennedy Galleries, 1920. Exhibition catalogue (1920 Kennedy Galleries), p. 12, addendum “Paintings by Eastman Johnson" [possibly, as Dropping Off].Douglass 1999
Douglass, Julie M. "Lifetime Exhibition History." In Eastman Johnson: Painting America, by Teresa A. Carbone and Patricia Hills. Brooklyn, NY: Brooklyn Museum of Art, in association with Rizzoli International Publications, 1999. Exhibition catalogue, p. 266 [possibly].Related work
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Keywords
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Record last updated November 16, 2023. Please note that the information on this and all pages is periodically reviewed and subject to change.
Citation: Hills, Patricia, and Abigael MacGibeny. "A Quiet Hour, 1873 (Hills no. 26.7.3)." Eastman Johnson Catalogue Raisonné. www.eastmanjohnson.org/catalogue/entry.php?id=437 (accessed on May 5, 2024).