Artwork
Not at Home
Not at Home is an unspecified painting by the American Impressionist artist Eastman Johnson. It dates from 1873 and is held in the collection of the Brooklyn Museum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting portrays everyday domestic life in the late nineteenth century, reflecting themes of privacy and the private sphere.
Not at Home shows an interior scene with a woman on stairs, a carpet, and a curtain, set within a domestic room. The painting portrays everyday domestic life in the late nineteenth century, reflecting themes of privacy and the private sphere.
The composition emphasizes domestic details such as the carpet and curtain, highlighting the interior domestic environment. The woman depicted within the room suggests themes of privacy and the private sphere.
The work was created in 1873 and is part of the Brooklyn Museum's collection.
The painting measures 67.1 cm in height and 56.7 cm in width.
Technique & Style
Created in 1873, Eastman Johnson's Not at Home is an oil painting executed on a canvas support. The work measures 67.1 cm in height and 56.7 cm in width. Visually, the composition depicts an interior scene featuring a woman, a staircase, a carpet, and a curtain. These elements combine to establish a domestic setting that defines the painting's formal subject matter.
History & Provenance
The painting Not at Home was created by Eastman Johnson in 1873, as indicated by its dated title and internal records.
The work entered the collection of the Brooklyn Museum, where it remains located. Provenance records trace the painting directly to the Brooklyn Museum’s holdings, with no intervening owners documented between its creation and its accession by the institution.
Eastman Johnson's 1873 painting Not at Home is held in the collection of the Brooklyn Museum. The work depicts an interior scene featuring a woman, stairs, carpet, and curtains. While specific accession numbers are not provided in the available records, the museum maintains the piece as part of its permanent holdings.
The painting measures 67.1 cm in height and 56.7 cm in width. No exhibition history is detailed in the current sources.
Overview
Created in 1873, Not at Home is an oil painting by Eastman Johnson that captures a quiet domestic interior. The composition centers on a warmly illuminated space where a woman in dark attire hesitates at an open doorway, her back turned toward the viewer. The scene is rendered with subdued colors and a focus on the tactile qualities of the carpet, curtain, and furnishings.
Context
The 1870s saw American artists increasingly adopting European techniques while focusing on distinctly local subjects. Johnson’s interior scenes, including this one, illustrate the shift from grand historical narratives toward the depiction of ordinary American life, aligning with broader cultural movements that valued realism and the nuanced portrayal of everyday moments.
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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.
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