Joshua Johnson was born between the years 1761 and 1763. Joshua was
one of the earliest known African American artists and he was the
first to earn his living as a professional portrait painter.
Joshua's father was white and his mother was a slave owned by another
man. Joshua was born a slave, however he gained his freedom at around
the age of 19 in 1782. George Johnson, Joshua's father bought
his son in 1764 and apprenticed him to a blacksmith with a provision
that he be emancipated prior to his 20th birthday.
NOTE: There were many free Blacks in
Baltimore during the latter part of the 17th century and by the early
1800s, free Blacks outnumbered slaves by more than 2 to 1. Records of
Baltimore's African American community were sparse and loosely kept,
however there are records held by the Maryland Historical Society that
suggest that Joshua may have been apprenticed as a Blacksmith until
his twentieth birthday. It has also been suggested that young Joshua
may have been apprenticed to Rembrandt Peale or Charles Peale Polk as
his style of painting is reminiscent of both Polk and Peale.
In the late 1700's and early 1800's it was fashionable for
well-to-do families to have their portraits painted. Joshua painted
over 83 portraits; half of which included children. Joshua was very
well known for his portraits of family groupings.
There are only 13 of Joshua's works in public collections today.
Nine of these depict families with their children and from the
children in the portraits we can deduce the approximate age and time
when they sat for their portraits.
The majority of Joshua's known paintings are held by the Maryland
Historical Society and the Baltimore Museum of Art.
Joshua Johnson died in or around 1832.
Sources:
Maryland Art Society
Maryland Historical Society
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