Johnson continued drawing portraits in charcoal after he arrived in Europe. However, the currently located charcoal portrait drawings of American women friends were all executed in The Hague, and those portraits returned to the United States. Similar to the situation of the commissioned charcoal portraits of men, those works of European women remained in Europe. —PH
Hills, 2022: The Belmont drawings probably were done in the Netherlands, when August Belmont was Ambassador from the United States. The date would therefore be about 1853 when Johnson did a portrait of their small son, Perry.
Caroline was the daughter of Admiral Matthew Perry, who, under orders from President Fillmore, sailed into Tokyo Harbor on July 8, 1853, with the official purpose of opening up trade with Japan after centuries of Japan’s isolationism. Japanese art, which began to flood the market in the West, made a strong impact on American and European artists. Johnson’s delicate drawing, where he portrays Caroline with flowers in her hair, is unique in his oeuvre and may therefore indicate the influence of Japanese art.
2017: In poor condition judging from FARL photo.
Caroline Slidell Perry Belmont (1829–1892). Daughter of Admiral Commodore Perry; wife of August Belmont.
- Portrait pose:
- Portrait sitter families: