A Life in Portraiture and Music
William Johnston was a colonial American painter born in Boston, Massachusetts, to Thomas Johnston, a japanner, and Rachel Thwing. Before establishing himself as a portraitist, he began his professional life as a musician, serving as the organist at Boston's Christ Church from 1750 to 1753. His artistic journey eventually led him to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where he lived from 1759 until 1762, and later to Connecticut. In Connecticut, he became the first painter to work extensively in the colony, serving residents in New London, New Haven, and the Hartford area.
His career eventually took him to Barbados, where he continued to work as a portraitist and received seventy-five pounds a year to play the organ. Johnston died in Bridgetown in April 1772, following a sudden illness.
Artistic Style and Legacy
Johnston's work is characterized by a style similar to his friend John Singleton Copley, often adopting similar poses. His paintings frequently utilize a three-quarter length format, and many of his backgrounds and poses were drawn from English mezzotints of the period. While his style is noted as being more linear than that of Joseph Blackburn, his portraits have historically been so similar to Copley's that at least three of his works were previously misidentified as belonging to the latter.
His notable works include:
Today, his legacy is preserved in several collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Connecticut Historical Society, and the Brooklyn Museum of Art.
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