Catalogue Entry
When he returned to the United States in 1856, Johnson continued to make graphite pencil sketches in notebooks. Those that have survived time generally relate to paintings he did later, such as the many sketches of Nantucket characters or for paintings he was contemplating doing in the future. —PH
Hills, 2022: While no photographs have been located of this pastel, the fact that it was once in the collection of Albert Rosenthal, a collector who had purchased a large group of Eastman Johnson drawings, gives credence to its authenticity. The bulk of Rosenthal’s collection of American drawings can be found in the Free Library of Philadelphia.
MacGibeny, 2022: Although the composition of this drawing is not known, certain details are remarkably similar to those of Baur no. 450, Picking Berries. In addition to sharing a title, both are drawings on canvas rather than paper, measuring between seven and eight inches on their longest edge, and labeled "E. J." on their mounts.