The Pets

1856

Eastman Johnson

Associated Names
Eastman Johnson

Artist, American, 1824 - 1906

This painting shows a young girl sitting in a wooden chair, facing the right. She has pale skin, rosy cheeks, a slightly upturned nose, and long, brown hair put up behind her head. She is wearing a pale green dress and black shoes. To the right are several animals. On top of a table or counter is a small cage with two hamsters or gerbils with reddish-brown fur, surrounded by yellow straw and green grass. On top of their cage is a clear fishbowl on a tall glass stand, with a large goldfish and a smaller gray fish swimming in it. A small gray kitten sits on the cage, watching the fish, ears perked up and one paw slightly raised. Behind this counter and slightly to the left is a tall wooden stand with a bright green bird perched on it, surrounded by some potted plants. The bird has a blue head and small patches of red feathers on the tops of its wings. The girl is sitting on the edge of the wooden chair, watching the animals, a small silver plate and pitcher on the wooden floor by her feet. The wall and door behind her are light gray, and in some places, plaster appears have fallen off the wall, exposing a red surface underneath. Framed pictures hang on the wall, and on the right side we can see the edge of a window that casts pale light on the rest of the scene.

Media Options

This object’s media is free and in the public domain. Read our full Open Access policy for images.

Artwork overview

  • Medium

    oil on academy board transferred to hardboard

  • Credit Line

    Corcoran Collection (Gift of William Wilson Corcoran)

  • Dimensions

    overall: 63.5 × 73.03 cm (25 × 28 3/4 in.)
    framed: 82.07 × 94.62 × 9.53 cm (32 5/16 × 37 1/4 × 3 3/4 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2014.136.110


Artwork history & notes

Provenance

William Wilson Corcoran [1798-1888], Washington; gift 10 May 1869 to the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, as Girl with Pets; acquired 2014 by the National Gallery of Art.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1857

  • First Annual Exhibition of the Washington Art Association, Washington Art Association, 1857, no. 71.

1859

  • Thirty-fourth Annual Exhibition of the National Academy of Design, National Academy of Design, New York, 1859, no. 621.

1935

  • American Life in a Century of American Art, The Memorial Art Gallery of Rochester, 1935, no. 24, as Girl and Pets.

  • American Genre: The Social Scene in Paintings & Prints, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, 26 March-29 April 1935, no. 61, as Girl and Pets.

1936

  • An Exhibition of American Genre Paintings, Department of Fine Arts, Carnegie Institute, Pittsburgh, 13 February-26 March 1936, no. 57, as Girl and Pets.

1993

  • The Century Club Collection, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, 21 July-13 September 1993, unpublished checklist, as Girl and Pets.

2006

  • American ABC, Iris B. Gerald Cantor Center for the Visual Arts, Stanford University; Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington; Portland Art Museum, Oregon, 2006-2007 (shown only in Washington).

2013

  • American Journeys: Visions of Place, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, 21 September 2013 - 28 September 2014, unpublished checklist.

Bibliography

1857

  • Lanman, Charles. Catalogue of W.W. Corcoran's Gallery. Washington, 1857: 16, no. 81.

2011

  • Cash, Sarah, ed. Corcoran Gallery of Art: American Paintings to 1945. Washington, 2011: 20, 304, repro.

Inscriptions

lower left: E. Johnson. 1856

Wikidata ID

Q46628478

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