Catalogue Entry
When Johnson returned to the United States, he not only painted genre paintings but he also continued to paint portraits, which gave him a steady income. After 1880 Johnson turned to portraiture almost exclusively. During the 1880s and 1890s he painted businessmen, lawyers, university presidents, and three U.S. presidents from life. At times he also painted their wives and children.
He was also commissioned to paint posthumous portraits, often from photographs. These portraits by and large do not have the sparkle and active brushwork of those done from life. It seems that the demand for portraits of business and civic leaders (and members of exclusive men’s clubs) was so high that portrait painters would often make copies of each other’s paintings to satisfy the market for such images. In many instances, it has been difficult to render opinions for such paintings. —PH
MacGibeny, 2021: The Hubbard Museum of the American West owns a full-length portrait of Archibald Rogers that is signed and dated "E. Johnson/1892." The image is not included here pending further research and examination by Dr. Hills.
Archibald Rogers (1852–1928). Also known as Colonel Archibald Rogers. Sportsman and clubsman who built several railroads, with an earlier career as an engineer. Devotee of yachting and big game hunting [New York Times obituary]. Grandfather of Anne Stradling, donor of the Anne Stradling Collection to the Hubbard Museum of the American West, which owns Johnson's full-length portrait of Rogers.
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