Catalogue Entry
Johnson’s portraits of children and adolescents were often part of a larger commission to paint whole families. In some instances, the children had died and their parents wished to have a reminder of their loved ones. —PH
Hills, 2021: The prie-dieu against which the child leans is no doubt the prie-dieu Johnson brought back from Europe in 1856 and which appears in many of his interior genre scenes.
Owen Gallery exhibition catalogue, 2004: "Portrait of Vinnie Packard is an intimate portrayal of a young American child. She rests against her prie-dieu (a narrow, desk-like kneeling bench with space above for a book or the elbows, for use by a person at prayer), looking toward the viewer with her right arm posed as if ready to write. The prie-dieu's desk-like appearance combined with the young girl's pose suggests knowledge and education within a domestic setting."
Vinnie Packard (life dates unknown).
- Portrait pose:
- Subject matter: