Henrietta Johnston was the first known pastellist to work in the American colonies, as well as the first professional female portraitist. Born in Ireland, she and her husband came to live in Charleston, South Carolina in 1708.

Henrietta's work has been compared to that of Simon Digby and Edward Luttrell, both Irishmen, and she may have been a pupil of either or both. Her style is easily recognizable: heads quarter turned, generally dark and well-defined eyes, and softly draped gowns on female subjects. The hair of her ladies falls over one shoulder; her men wear wigs with cascading curls. Her only known attempts at landscape backgrounds appear in her drawings of children.

This book is a catalogue of Henrietta Johnston's pastels.

1991; Softcover; 72 pages, 48 illustrations, 14 in color.
99228