Artwork
Boy Fishing
Boy Fishing is an oil painting by the Realist artist Eastman Johnson. It dates from 1864 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts a young boy absorbed in fishing, seated by the water’s edge with a fishing rod angled toward the water.
The painting depicts a young boy absorbed in fishing, seated by the water’s edge with a fishing rod angled toward the water. The boy’s concentration and the stillness of the scene convey a quiet moment of youthful engagement with nature.
The work aligns with Eastman Johnson’s interest in genre scenes that capture everyday American life, reflecting themes of childhood and the contemplative relationship between humans and the natural world. The modest scale and intimate focus suggest an emphasis on personal experience rather than narrative spectacle.
Technique & Style
Eastman Johnson's Boy Fishing is an oil painting executed on a canvas support, created in 1864. The work measures 23.5 cm in height and 19.0 cm in width. Classified as a painting, the piece utilizes oil paint as its primary medium, a standard technique for 19th-century American genre scenes. The physical dimensions indicate a relatively small-scale composition, typical for intimate studies or sketches of the period.
History & Provenance
Boy Fishing was painted in 1864 by the American artist Eastman Johnson. Executed in oil on canvas, the work measures approximately 23.5 cm in height and 19.0 cm in width. Although no earlier owners or commission details are recorded in the available sources, the painting has been part of the Cleveland Museum of Art’s collection since at least the time of its acquisition, and it remains housed there today. The work is classified as a painting in the museum’s records.
Boy Fishing is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. The work, created by Eastman Johnson in 1864, is identified within the museum's records by the accession number 358.1915. Executed in oil on canvas, the painting measures 23.5 cm in height and 19.0 cm in width.
The provided sources confirm its location and inventory details but do not list specific past exhibitions or a detailed provenance history prior to its current holding.
Overview
Eastman Johnson’s 1864 oil painting Boy Fishing portrays a young boy alone beside a shallow stream, his fishing pole poised for a quiet catch. The composition captures a moment of simple leisure, rendered with careful observation of light and surface. The work is part of the Cleveland Museum of Art’s permanent collection.
Context
Johnson, a co‑founder of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, spent the 1850s studying Dutch masters in The Hague, an experience that informed his later realist works. Boy Fishing exemplifies his interest in ordinary American life, aligning with the broader Realism movement that sought to depict everyday subjects with fidelity and dignity.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Jonathan Eastman Johnson (July 29, 1824 – April 5, 1906) was an American painter and co-founder of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, with his name inscribed at its entrance.
