Henry Elliott Johnston

Copied William Henry Rinehart, Henry Elliott Johnston, 1873, marble, 24 x 16 1⁄2 x 11 1⁄2 in. (60.9 x 41.9 x 29.2 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Harriet Lane Johnston, 1906.9.15
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
Henry Elliott Johnston
Artist
Date
1873
Location
Dimensions
24 x 16 1⁄2 x 11 1⁄2 in. (60.9 x 41.9 x 29.2 cm)
Credit Line
Bequest of Harriet Lane Johnston
Mediums
Mediums Description
marble
Classifications
Subjects
  • Portrait male — Johnston, Henry Elliott — bust
  • Portrait male — Johnston, Henry Elliott — nude
Object Number
1906.9.15
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1906.9.15

Artwork Description

Henry Elliott Johnston (1831-1884) was a Baltimore railroad executive and banker. He and his wife, Harriet, traveled frequently to Europe to build their art collection, and this bust was created on one of their trips to Rome. Like other wealthy Americans of the Gilded Age, the Johnstons hoped that America would one day compete with European art institutions. They anticipated that their private collection would contribute to that process by becoming part of “a national gallery of art.”