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Portrait of Samuel Johnson ("Blinking Sam")

Maker (British, 1723-1792)
ClassificationsPAINTINGS
Date1775
Mediumoil on canvas
Dimensions29 15/16 x 24 13/16 in. (76 x 63 cm.)
DescriptionHalf-length portrait of a man (Samuel Johnson) in a dark coat reading a book at close range
Credit LineThe Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens. Gift of Frances and Loren Rothschild
Label TextA poet, essayist, philosopher, and lexicographer, Samuel Johnson (1709-1784) is perhaps best known for his monumental undertaking, The Dictionary of the English Language, published in 1755. This intimate portrayal has long been regarded as a personal tribute to the writer by his friend, the painter Joshua Reynolds. It captures Johnson in a private moment, reading a book, hands tightly grasping the pages, eyes squinting to see the text. The energy with which Reynolds depicts Johnson almost devouring the words on the page vividly conveys his friend’s deep passion for knowledge.
Status
On view
Object number2006.22
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Photography © 2015 Fredrik Nilsen
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