Artwork

Elizabeth Grant Bankson Beatty (Mrs. James Beatty) and Her Daughter Susan

Elizabeth Grant Bankson Beatty (Mrs. James Beatty) and Her Daughter Susan is an oil painting by the Naïve art artist Joshua Johnson. It dates from 1805 and is held in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Accession no.: 150054
Credit line: Purchased with funds provided by Robin and Timm R. Reynolds and Jill Burnside Zeno; Bulley and Andrews, Edna Graham, Love Galleries, Mary Swissler Oldberg, Ratcliffe Foundation, and Quinn E. Delaney funds; Walter Aitken, Dr. Julian Archie, Mr. and Mrs. Perry Herst, Jay W. McGreevy, Mr. and Mrs. John W. Puth, Stone Foundation, and Mr. and Mrs. Frederick G. Wacker, Jr. endowment funds; through prior acquisitions of the George F. Harding Collection and Ruth Helgeson

About this work

Overview

This oil on canvas portrait by Joshua Johnson depicts Elizabeth Grant Bankson Beatty and her daughter Susan, showcasing the artist's attention to detail and elegance in capturing the sitters' attire and accessories.

Subject & Meaning

The portrait highlights the subjects' social standing through their fashionable clothing. Elizabeth wears a circlet of glass beads accentuating her hair and eyes, while Susan holds a brightly colored strawberry, a luxury item symbolizing refinement.

Technique & Style

Johnson's self-taught skill is evident in the meticulous rendering of small details, such as the glass beads and the strawberry, demonstrating his proficiency in capturing texture and color.

History & Provenance

Joshua Johnson, the first known Black painter to achieve professional success in the U.S., created this work during his career in Baltimore, where he catered to local artisan and middle-class families despite being in a predominantly white artistic landscape.

Context

As a freed person of color (freed by his enslaver and father around 1782), Johnson's career is notable for its rarity in early 19th-century America, with his work listed in the 1816 Baltimore city directory.