Johnson, Thomas (McKechnie Section 3)

An artist, recorded by Mayne, who worked during the early 1790s, as far as we can judge from his extant silhouettes. Since he used a trade label (which gives Harrogate as his place of work) he was probably in practice for a number of years. There is, however, no record of Johnson in Harrogate, either at the Public Library or at the Royal Pump Room Museum.

There is a silhouette, which I have seen, on the back of which is written, ‘Taken by Thos. Johnson,/Harrogate’. It is from this inscription that we know that the artist's first name was Thomas.

Two silhouettes which, although neither signed nor labelled, can safely be ascribed to Johnson on stylistic grounds, are in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. One of these profiles (of a Frances Turnor) is dated 1790 in a contemporary hand. Two other silhouettes were sold by Sotheby and Company, London, from the residue of the Coke collection in July 1931. Both bore trade labels of Johnson.

Johnson painted on flat glass, in dead black resembling that used by the Jordens and Rosenberg. Again, like the Jordens, he backed his silhouettes with a second piece of glass, coated with gesso; the two layers of glass give a bluish or greyish hue to the background of the silhouette. He used thinned pigment to indicate the transparency of materials, and painted hair in rather thick brush-strokes, like those of Rosenberg. He made little use of the needle. A clue to the recognition of a silhouette by Johnson lies in the termination of the arm at the bust-line finish, which shows a projection unlike that seen on the work of any other artist. This projection is wider on a profile of a man than on a profile of a woman because of the greater width of a man's arm.

Since Johnson mentions on his trade label the sending of copies and the keeping of duplicates, he probably used a mechanical device to secure basic outlines. He favoured oval frames of hammered brass.

One printed trade label (illustrated) is known:

T. JOHNSON

Harrogate

Takes Miniature Profiles on Glass; those who please to favour him with their Commands may depend on the most striking Likeness's.

N.B. He keeps the Shades by him so that any friend by sending a line, may have whatever Copies they please.

Ills. 1097-1101