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Henrietta Johnston

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173: 334: 231:, written in 1709, Johnston mentions that "were it not for the assistance my wife gives by drawing of Pictures (which can last but a little time in a place so ill peopled) I should not be able to live", indicating that Henrietta had again taken up her drawing to augment the couple's income. Another letter, dated a year later, reveals that she had run out of drawing materials and suffered "a long and tedious Sickness". Johnston made one return trip to England, in 1711–1712; her husband, too, returned there once, from 1713 to 1715. He died in a boating accident in 1716, not long after returning to Charleston. 235: 299: 317:, while those from her time in South Carolina are generally lighter and smaller, due likely to the precious nature of her materials, which had to be imported. The Irish works, which show the most attention to detail of all her works, depict sitters at three-quarter length, as do the earliest of her Carolina pastels. Johnston's American female subjects are usually shown wearing 227:. The couple's time in the colonies was hard; Johnston was frequently writing the Society to request payment of his salary, which was often delayed, and their lives were further hampered by illness, lack of supplies, and distance from family. In one of his letters to his patron 329:
eyes. Works dating to after her second husband's death are less finished; details of clothing are less well-defined and colors are less saturated, suggesting either that the artist was running out of materials or that she was working at greater speed to complete commissions.
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About forty portraits by Johnston are known to survive; many have preserved their original frames and backboards, on which her signature may be found. These mostly depict members of her social circle and, later, of her husband's Charleston congregation, such as Colonel
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It is unknown whether or not Johnston studied painting and drawing; however, given the sophistication of her work, it is likely that she did indeed receive some form of training. Similarities between her pastels and the works of Irish artist
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Johnston usually signed her portraits on their wooden backing, noting her name, the location of completion, and the date of completion in order. A typical signature is the inscription on the reverse of her portrait of Philip Perceval:
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from approximately 1708 until her death. She is both the earliest recorded female artist and the first known pastelist working in the English colonies, and is the first portraitist known to have worked in what would become the
157:. It was during this time that Johnston began to draw pastels. Her earliest portraits depicted a number of powerful people to whom she was related by marriage; among these were 256: 220: 781: 325:. Each subject is shown sitting erect, with the head frequently turned at a slight angle from the body and towards the viewer. The faces are typically dominated by large 423:
Miles instead states that she was born Henrietta de Branlien in either England or Ireland; she does, however, agree with the theory that the artist was of Huguenot origin.
172: 196: 696: 361:. Many of her South Carolina portraits depict members of Huguenot families that had settled in the New World, including the Prioleaus, Bacots (including 252:, as four portraits dated 1725 exist depicting members of a family from that city. She returned to Charleston at some time before her death in 1729. 741: 292: 408:
in 2000, seven with their original frames. Williams protected them from the light in an upstairs dressing room where the shutters were kept closed.
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attributed to her hand are the backgrounds of a pair of children's portraits from New York, which are also her only known portraits of children.
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Both the date and place of Johnston's birth are unknown; it has been suggested, and is generally accepted, that she was born in northwestern
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The family is that of Colonel John Moore, formerly of South Carolina; what link may have existed between them and Johnston is unknown.
374: 59: 776: 313:, which at the time were greatly in fashion in the United Kingdom and the colonies. Her pastels from Ireland are drawn in deep 694:"MERCER HOUSE, SAVANNAH. THE COLLECTION OF THE LATE JAMES A. WILLIAMS. CONTENTS TO BE SOLD BY SOTHEBY’S NEW YORK ON OCTOBER 20" 751: 606: 554: 527: 113: 183:
Dering's husband died in about 1704, leaving Henrietta a widow with two daughters. In 1705 she married again, this time to
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in Charleston, which has developed an interactive online exhibition dedicated to her work; other pieces may be seen in the
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Nine portraits, each depicting members of the Southwell and Perceval families, were owned by American preservationist
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Little is known of Johnston's later life in the colonies. She is known to have traveled at some point to
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Richard H. Saunders; Ellen Gross Miles; National Portrait Gallery (Smithsonian Institution) (1987).
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in either 1685 or 1687. In 1694 Henrietta married Robert (possibly William) Dering, fifth son of
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A suggestion has been made that Johnston was related to the painter and dancing master
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in Charleston. One of her daughters by her first marriage, Mary Dering, later became
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In pose and coloring, many of Johnston's portraits strongly resemble those of Sir
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Johnston and her second husband are buried together in the cemetery of
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and his first wife Marianne Fleur Du Gue) and duBoses (including
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indicate that she may have studied with them at some point.
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Henriette Charlotte Chastaigner (Mrs. Nathaniel Broughton),
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Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts
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at Castlemore. Two years later, he was appointed by the
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Johnston was almost exclusively a portraitist; the only
479:"Henrietta Johnston at the South Carolina Encyclopedia" 542: 511: 509: 507: 505: 503: 501: 499: 590: 588: 369:). Today, a number of her works are held by the 782:Burials at St. Michael's Churchyard (Charleston) 723: 496: 169:. Her earliest surviving pastel dates to 1704. 584: 582: 580: 578: 576: 574: 572: 570: 568: 566: 278:in 1749, but this is not generally accepted. 549:. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 91–. 715:- The Devoted Classicist, December 12, 2011 473: 471: 469: 467: 465: 463: 689: 687: 563: 461: 459: 457: 455: 453: 451: 449: 447: 445: 443: 347:Henrietta Dering Fecit / Dublin Anno 1704. 338:Mrs. Pierre Bacot (Marianne Fleur Du Gue) 187:clergyman Gideon Johnston, a graduate of 742:People from pre-statehood South Carolina 536: 375:Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts 332: 297: 233: 171: 60:Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts 757:Artists from Charleston, South Carolina 684: 440: 411: 724: 519:American colonial portraits, 1700–1776 239:Anna Cuyler (Mrs. Anthony) Van Schaick 106:Henrietta de Beaulieu Dering Johnston 792:18th-century American women painters 623:"Pierre Bacot by Henrietta Johnston" 481:. Scencyclopedia.org. Archived from 153:; she and her husband then moved to 747:People from colonial South Carolina 706: 589:Gerard C. Wertkin (2 August 2004). 13: 274:, who migrated to Charleston from 112:of uncertain origin active in the 14: 803: 593:Encyclopedia of American Folk Art 114:English colonies in North America 108:(c. 1674 – March 9, 1729) was a 543:Elisabeth Louise Roark (2003). 383:Greenville County Museum of Art 65:Greenville County Museum of Art 777:18th-century American painters 672:Henrietta Johnston Interactive 665: 640: 615: 426: 417: 257:St. Michael's Episcopal Church 147:Sir Edward Dering, 2nd Baronet 16:American artist (c. 1674–1729) 1: 713:"Notable Homes: Mercer House" 221:St. Philip's Episcopal Church 752:Painters from South Carolina 203:of the Church of England in 137:. Her parents, both French 7: 546:Artists of Colonial America 241:, ca. 1725, pastel, in the 215:. He was also to serve as 10: 808: 767:American portrait painters 652:Metropolitan Museum of Art 627:Metropolitan Museum of Art 379:Metropolitan Museum of Art 50:Metropolitan Museum of Art 99: 86: 82: 72: 38: 28: 21: 281: 189:Trinity College, Dublin 124: 772:18th-century Anglicans 597:. Routledge. pp.  341: 306: 276:Williamsburg, Virginia 245: 180: 119:southern United States 396:and displayed at his 336: 301: 243:New York State Museum 237: 175: 412:Notes and references 371:Gibbes Museum of Art 263:to the daughters of 191:then serving as the 178:Gibbes Museum of Art 55:Gibbes Museum of Art 787:Artists from Rennes 133:, near the town of 699:2020-03-17 at the 677:2013-11-05 at the 342: 307: 246: 181: 167:Earls of Barrymore 161:, later to become 23:Henrietta Johnston 608:978-1-135-95615-8 556:978-0-313-32023-1 529:978-0-87474-695-2 402:Savannah, Georgia 165:, and one of the 103: 102: 799: 716: 710: 704: 691: 682: 669: 663: 662: 660: 658: 644: 638: 637: 635: 633: 619: 613: 612: 596: 586: 561: 560: 540: 534: 533: 513: 494: 493: 491: 490: 475: 433: 430: 424: 421: 340:, circa 1708 –10 305:, circa 1708 –10 149:,, and his wife 89: 41: 19: 18: 807: 806: 802: 801: 800: 798: 797: 796: 722: 721: 720: 719: 711: 707: 701:Wayback Machine 692: 685: 679:Wayback Machine 670: 666: 656: 654: 646: 645: 641: 631: 629: 621: 620: 616: 609: 587: 564: 557: 541: 537: 530: 514: 497: 488: 486: 477: 476: 441: 436: 431: 427: 422: 418: 414: 311:Godfrey Kneller 293:Edward Luttrell 289:Edmund Ashfield 284: 261:lady-in-waiting 127: 87: 39: 24: 17: 12: 11: 5: 805: 795: 794: 789: 784: 779: 774: 769: 764: 762:Pastel artists 759: 754: 749: 744: 739: 734: 718: 717: 705: 683: 664: 639: 614: 607: 562: 555: 535: 528: 495: 438: 437: 435: 434: 425: 415: 413: 410: 387:Jeremiah Theus 283: 280: 272:William Dering 229:Gilbert Burnet 213:Bahama Islands 209:South Carolina 163:Earl of Egmont 126: 123: 101: 100: 97: 96: 90: 84: 83: 80: 79: 74: 70: 69: 68: 67: 62: 57: 52: 42: 36: 35: 30: 29:Known for 26: 25: 22: 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 804: 793: 790: 788: 785: 783: 780: 778: 775: 773: 770: 768: 765: 763: 760: 758: 755: 753: 750: 748: 745: 743: 740: 738: 735: 733: 730: 729: 727: 714: 709: 702: 698: 695: 690: 688: 680: 676: 673: 668: 653: 649: 643: 628: 624: 618: 610: 604: 600: 595: 594: 585: 583: 581: 579: 577: 575: 573: 571: 569: 567: 558: 552: 548: 547: 539: 531: 525: 521: 520: 512: 510: 508: 506: 504: 502: 500: 485:on 2015-09-24 484: 480: 474: 472: 470: 468: 466: 464: 462: 460: 458: 456: 454: 452: 450: 448: 446: 444: 439: 429: 420: 416: 409: 407: 403: 399: 395: 390: 388: 384: 380: 376: 372: 368: 367:Judith DuBose 364: 360: 359:William Rhett 354: 352: 348: 339: 335: 331: 328: 324: 320: 316: 312: 304: 300: 296: 294: 290: 279: 277: 273: 268: 266: 262: 258: 253: 251: 250:New York City 244: 240: 236: 232: 230: 226: 222: 218: 214: 210: 206: 202: 198: 194: 190: 186: 179: 174: 170: 168: 164: 160: 159:John Perceval 156: 152: 148: 144: 140: 136: 132: 122: 120: 115: 111: 107: 98: 94: 93:William Rhett 91: 85: 81: 78: 75: 71: 66: 63: 61: 58: 56: 53: 51: 48: 47: 46: 43: 37: 34: 31: 27: 20: 732:1670s births 708: 667: 655:. Retrieved 651: 642: 630:. Retrieved 626: 617: 592: 545: 538: 518: 487:. Retrieved 483:the original 428: 419: 398:Mercer House 394:Jim Williams 391: 363:Pierre Bacot 355: 346: 343: 337: 308: 303:Pierre Bacot 302: 285: 269: 254: 247: 238: 199:to serve as 182: 128: 105: 104: 44: 40:Notable work 737:1729 deaths 315:earth tones 45:in museums: 726:Categories 703:- Sothebys 489:2014-01-19 381:, and the 351:landscapes 225:Charleston 201:commissary 95:and others 406:Sotheby's 265:George II 139:Huguenots 110:pastelist 88:Patron(s) 697:Archived 675:Archived 319:chemises 211:and the 185:Anglican 73:Movement 291:and of 155:Ireland 657:30 May 632:30 May 605:  553:  526:  377:, the 217:rector 143:London 135:Rennes 131:France 77:Rococo 33:Pastel 323:armor 282:Style 205:North 193:vicar 659:2019 634:2019 603:ISBN 551:ISBN 524:ISBN 327:oval 207:and 151:Mary 125:Life 601:–. 599:309 400:in 223:in 219:of 728:: 686:^ 650:. 625:. 565:^ 498:^ 442:^ 389:. 267:. 121:. 661:. 636:. 611:. 559:. 532:. 492:.

Index

Pastel
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Gibbes Museum of Art
Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts
Greenville County Museum of Art
Rococo
William Rhett
pastelist
English colonies in North America
southern United States
France
Rennes
Huguenots
London
Sir Edward Dering, 2nd Baronet
Mary
Ireland
John Perceval
Earl of Egmont
Earls of Barrymore

Gibbes Museum of Art
Anglican
Trinity College, Dublin
vicar
Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts
commissary
North
South Carolina
Bahama Islands

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