Eastman Johnson in Focus

Eastman Johnson (American, 1824–1906)
Negro Life at the South, 1859
Oil on linen
 37 x 46 in. ( 94 x 116.8 cm )
New-York Historical Society, The Robert L. Stuart Collection, S-225

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  • Museum/Gallery Type
    • Art

Eastman Johnson in Focus

Milwaukee Art Museum
700 N Art Museum Dr - Milwaukee, WI 53202
Information: 414-224-3200
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In Eastman Johnson in Focus, the Milwaukee Art Museum unites in conversation Johnson’s two masterpieces: his major antebellum painting Negro Life at the South, from the New-York Historical Society, and his post–Civil War masterwork The Old Stagecoach, from Milwaukee’s Layton Art Collection. When first painted, both works inspired praise and evoked ire, their seemingly idyllic scenes igniting discussions on issues of slavery, poverty, and the nation’s history. This exhibition explores briefly the artist’s career, as well as the historical context of each work.