In addition to his scenes of everyday life and portraits of people, Johnson created images of historical events and figures from works of literature, drama, and music. For example, “Carry Me, and I’ll Drum You Through” was inspired by an incident from the Battle of Antietam, 1862, and Membership Vote at the Union League Club, May 11, 1876, recorded a contentious meeting in which he participated much later. His Marguerite, Cosette, and Minnehaha are personifications of fictional heroines from novels and poetry. His Boy Lincoln represents both the future United States president and the archetypical American youth who, with determination and hard work, could succeed. Johnson rendered several of these imaginative images as both paintings and drawings. These literary and historical works evince both his personal interest in those subjects and his awareness of their popularity with the broad public. —AM
Kalamazoo Institute of Arts object record, January 12, 2021: "Young boy sits on a chair reading a book, he leans to the right towards a dimly lit fireplace, no details to the room besides a wooden floor and ceiling, left section of the painting is in shadow."
Reverse: 2 seated figures; very sketchy. Female: cherry red top, white skirt, gesturing. Male: turned toward female—in dark, greenish tones on floor. "501" in pencil. Added at top, 6" from left. Some touch-up c. 2" diameter—left of book; also along side at left and a bough of corn; also a table-like structure on left.
Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865). Sixteenth president of the United States, 1861–1865.
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