Skip to main contentProvenanceThe artist
Susan Elizabeth Johnson Young, Provincetown, Massachusetts, until 1903 (sitter)
William Henry Young (son of Susan Elizabeth Young)
Josephine Young McKenna, Truro, Massachusetts, July 1981 (daughter of William Henry Young)
Suzanne McKenna (daughter of Josephine Young McKenna)
Frank and Karen Miele Collection of American Art, New York, New York
Sotheby's New York, New York, January 28, 1984
Berry-Hill Galleries, Inc., New York, New York
Daniel J. Terra Collection, Chicago, Illinois, 1984
Terra Foundation for the Arts Collection, Chicago, Illinois, 1992
Exhibition HistoryPublished References
William Matthew Prior
(American, 1806–1873)
Double Portrait of Mary Cary and Susan Elizabeth Johnson
1848
Oil on board mounted on panel
Image: 17 1/4 x 23 3/16 in. (43.8 x 58.9 cm)
Frame: 23 5/16 x 29 1/16 x 2 7/16 in. (59.2 x 73.8 x 6.2 cm)
Frame: 23 5/16 x 29 1/16 x 2 7/16 in. (59.2 x 73.8 x 6.2 cm)
Credit LineTerra Foundation for American Art, Daniel J. Terra Collection
Object number1992.122
SignedUnsigned
InterpretationWilliam Matthew Prior portrayed two sisters, aged about five and three, in his Double Portrait of Mary Cary and Susan Elizabeth Johnson. Dressed in identical red striped dresses and necklaces, the sisters gaze directly at the viewer as each grasps one end of a black, gold-embossed book, a family Bible. Both have brown eyes, brown hair parted in the middle and tucked behind the ears, and fair complexions set off by the plain, dark background. Despite these similarities of appearance, which emphasize their close relationship, the girls’ features are sufficiently distinct to suggest their individuality.
Mary, born in 1843, and Susan, born in 1845 (on left and right, respectively, in Prior’s portrait) were the daughters of Joseph P. Johnson, a prominent citizen of Provincetown, Massachusetts, and his second wife, Susan Pierce Fitch. Susan Elizabeth grew up to be the family beauty; Mary, said to have been the more intellectually inclined, became a teacher. Prior may have been related to the family, and spent part of the summer of 1848 in Provincetown, where he painted portraits of Johnson, his wife, and his brother, in addition to the Johnson daughters. Double Portrait of Mary Cary and Susan Elizabeth Johnson remained in the family until 1981. Approximately forty years after Prior painted the sisters, they posed together for a portrait photograph just as they had for Prior’s painting, holding what appears to be the same Bible.
Based in Maine and later in Boston, Prior specialized in likenesses of children: the Terra Foundation collection also includes his Young Boy Holding Bow and Arrow with Drum on the Floor (TF 1992.123). The painter varied his style to fit the tastes and pocketbooks of his clients, offering lower prices for those in a "flat" style with little shading or modeling, which he could complete in less time than a more naturalistically modeled portrait. Prior's simpler style did not arise from technical deficiencies so much as his provincial patrons' expectations: for them, a portrait was an expression of social, economic, and moral aspirations rather than a record of the sitter's physical reality and individuality. This portrait promises not only lifelong familial loyalty between the sisters but their piety and propriety. Prior worked from life possibly only to paint his sitters' faces; the Johnson sisters' matching fancy dresses may have been "manufactured" by the artist for this portrait. Their variegated stripes and rich color seemed designed to relieve the rigid symmetry of the composition, in which the girls' uniformity of pose and attire sets off the subtle variations of their facial features.
Mary, born in 1843, and Susan, born in 1845 (on left and right, respectively, in Prior’s portrait) were the daughters of Joseph P. Johnson, a prominent citizen of Provincetown, Massachusetts, and his second wife, Susan Pierce Fitch. Susan Elizabeth grew up to be the family beauty; Mary, said to have been the more intellectually inclined, became a teacher. Prior may have been related to the family, and spent part of the summer of 1848 in Provincetown, where he painted portraits of Johnson, his wife, and his brother, in addition to the Johnson daughters. Double Portrait of Mary Cary and Susan Elizabeth Johnson remained in the family until 1981. Approximately forty years after Prior painted the sisters, they posed together for a portrait photograph just as they had for Prior’s painting, holding what appears to be the same Bible.
Based in Maine and later in Boston, Prior specialized in likenesses of children: the Terra Foundation collection also includes his Young Boy Holding Bow and Arrow with Drum on the Floor (TF 1992.123). The painter varied his style to fit the tastes and pocketbooks of his clients, offering lower prices for those in a "flat" style with little shading or modeling, which he could complete in less time than a more naturalistically modeled portrait. Prior's simpler style did not arise from technical deficiencies so much as his provincial patrons' expectations: for them, a portrait was an expression of social, economic, and moral aspirations rather than a record of the sitter's physical reality and individuality. This portrait promises not only lifelong familial loyalty between the sisters but their piety and propriety. Prior worked from life possibly only to paint his sitters' faces; the Johnson sisters' matching fancy dresses may have been "manufactured" by the artist for this portrait. Their variegated stripes and rich color seemed designed to relieve the rigid symmetry of the composition, in which the girls' uniformity of pose and attire sets off the subtle variations of their facial features.
Susan Elizabeth Johnson Young, Provincetown, Massachusetts, until 1903 (sitter)
William Henry Young (son of Susan Elizabeth Young)
Josephine Young McKenna, Truro, Massachusetts, July 1981 (daughter of William Henry Young)
Suzanne McKenna (daughter of Josephine Young McKenna)
Frank and Karen Miele Collection of American Art, New York, New York
Sotheby's New York, New York, January 28, 1984
Berry-Hill Galleries, Inc., New York, New York
Daniel J. Terra Collection, Chicago, Illinois, 1984
Terra Foundation for the Arts Collection, Chicago, Illinois, 1992
Exhibition History
Two Centuries of American Folk Painting, Terra Museum of American Art, Evanston, Illinois (organizer). Venue: Terra Museum of American Art, Evanston, Illinois, February 10–April 21, 1985.
Selections from the Permanent Collection, Terra Museum of American Art, Evanston, Illinois (organizer). Venue: Terra Museum of American Art, Evanston, Illinois, July 19–September 14, 1985.
Nineteenth Century Genre Painting from The Daniel J. Terra Collection, Terra Museum of American Art, Evanston, Illinois (organizer). Venue: Terra Museum of American Art, Evanston, Illinois, November 15, 1985–January 12, 1986.
A Proud Heritage: Two Centuries of American Art, Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois (organizer). Venue: Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois, April 21–June 21, 1987. [exh. cat.]
But Were They Good Likenesses? Hirschl & Adler Folk, New York, New York (organizer). Venue: Hirschl & Adler Folk, New York, New York, January 14–February 25, 1989. [exh. cat.]
Visions of a Nation: Exploring Identity through American Art, Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois (organizer). Venue: Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois, August 10, 1996–January 12, 1997.
Selected Works from the Collections: Two Hundred Years of American Art, Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois (organizer). Venue: Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois, April 12–August 27, 1997.
A Rich Simplicity: Folk Art from the Terra Foundation for the Arts Collection, Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois (organizer). Venue: Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois, June 7–September 21, 2003.
Visages de l'Amérique: de George Washington à Marilyn Monroe (Faces of America: From George Washington to Marilyn Monroe), Musée d'Art Américain Giverny, France (organizer). Venue: Musée d'Art Américain Giverny, France, April 1–October 31, 2004. [exh. cat.]
Twarze Ameryki: Portrety z kolekcji Terra Foundation for American Art, 1770–1940 (Faces of America: Portraits from the collection of the Terra Foundation for American Art, 1770–1940), Musée d'Art Américain Giverny, France and Miedzynarodowe Centrum Kultury (International Cultural Center), Crakow, Poland (organizers). Venue: International Cultural Center, Crakow, Poland, February 15–May 7, 2006. [exh. cat.]
Forget Me Not, Intuit Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art, Chicago (organizer). Venue: Intuit Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art, Chicago, September 10– Dec 30, 2010. [exh. brochure].
Artist and Visionary: William Matthew Prior Revealed Fenimore Museum of Art, Cooperstown, New York (organizer); Venue: Fenimore Museum of Art, Cooperstown, New York, May 26–December 31, 2012. [exh. cat.]
Selections from the Permanent Collection, Terra Museum of American Art, Evanston, Illinois (organizer). Venue: Terra Museum of American Art, Evanston, Illinois, July 19–September 14, 1985.
Nineteenth Century Genre Painting from The Daniel J. Terra Collection, Terra Museum of American Art, Evanston, Illinois (organizer). Venue: Terra Museum of American Art, Evanston, Illinois, November 15, 1985–January 12, 1986.
A Proud Heritage: Two Centuries of American Art, Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois (organizer). Venue: Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois, April 21–June 21, 1987. [exh. cat.]
But Were They Good Likenesses? Hirschl & Adler Folk, New York, New York (organizer). Venue: Hirschl & Adler Folk, New York, New York, January 14–February 25, 1989. [exh. cat.]
Visions of a Nation: Exploring Identity through American Art, Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois (organizer). Venue: Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois, August 10, 1996–January 12, 1997.
Selected Works from the Collections: Two Hundred Years of American Art, Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois (organizer). Venue: Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois, April 12–August 27, 1997.
A Rich Simplicity: Folk Art from the Terra Foundation for the Arts Collection, Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois (organizer). Venue: Terra Museum of American Art, Chicago, Illinois, June 7–September 21, 2003.
Visages de l'Amérique: de George Washington à Marilyn Monroe (Faces of America: From George Washington to Marilyn Monroe), Musée d'Art Américain Giverny, France (organizer). Venue: Musée d'Art Américain Giverny, France, April 1–October 31, 2004. [exh. cat.]
Twarze Ameryki: Portrety z kolekcji Terra Foundation for American Art, 1770–1940 (Faces of America: Portraits from the collection of the Terra Foundation for American Art, 1770–1940), Musée d'Art Américain Giverny, France and Miedzynarodowe Centrum Kultury (International Cultural Center), Crakow, Poland (organizers). Venue: International Cultural Center, Crakow, Poland, February 15–May 7, 2006. [exh. cat.]
Forget Me Not, Intuit Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art, Chicago (organizer). Venue: Intuit Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art, Chicago, September 10– Dec 30, 2010. [exh. brochure].
Artist and Visionary: William Matthew Prior Revealed Fenimore Museum of Art, Cooperstown, New York (organizer); Venue: Fenimore Museum of Art, Cooperstown, New York, May 26–December 31, 2012. [exh. cat.]
Sokol, David M. "The Terra Museum of American Art, Evanston, Illinois." The Magazine Antiques 126:5 (November 1984): 1156–69. Pl. XXII, p. 1165 (color).
Atkinson, D. Scott et al. A Proud Heritage: Two Centuries of American Art. Edited by Terry A. Neff. (exh. cat., Terra Museum of American Art). Chicago, Illinois: Terra Foundation for the Arts, 1987. Pl. T-14, p. 123 (color).
Heslip, Colleen Cowles. But Were They Good Likenesses? (exh. cat., Hirschl & Adler Folk). New York: Hirschl & Adler Folk, 1989. Text p. 35; ill. p. 34 (color).
Southgate, M. Therese. "The Cover." The Journal of the American Medical Association 263:14 (April 11, 1990): 1912. Text p. 1912; ill. cover (color).
Kennedy, Elizabeth and Sophie Lévy. Faces of America: Portraits of the Terra Foundation for the Arts Collection, 1770–1940. (exh. cat., Musée d'Art Américain Giverny). Chicago, Illinois: Terra Foundation for the Arts, 2004. Text pp. 13, 33 (checklist); ill. p. 42 (color).
Kennedy, Elizabeth and Sophie Lévy. Visages de l'Amérique: le portrait dans la collection de la Terra Foundation for the Arts, 1770–1940. (exh. cat., Musée d'Art Américain Giverny). Chicago, Illinois: Terra Foundation for the Arts, 2004. Text pp. 13, 33 (checklist); ill. p. 42 (color).
Lévy, Sophie, et al. Twarze Ameryki: Portrety z kolekcji Terra Foundation for American Art, 1770–1940/Faces of America: Portraits from the collection of the Terra Foundation for American Art, 1770–1940. (exh. cat. International Cultural Center). Cracow, Poland: International Cultural Center, 2006. Text pp.16; ill. p. 61 (color).
Mooney, Amy M. "Portraits of Others." The Outsider 15:1 (Fall 2010): 13–16. Text p. 14; ill. p. 14 (color).
Oak, Jacquelyn and Gwendolyn Dubois Shaw. Artist and Visionary: William Matthew Prior Revealed. (exh. cat. Fenimore Art Museum, Cooperstown, New York). Cooperstown, New York: Fenimore Art Museum, 2012. Ill. cat. no. 37, p. 50 (color).
Atkinson, D. Scott et al. A Proud Heritage: Two Centuries of American Art. Edited by Terry A. Neff. (exh. cat., Terra Museum of American Art). Chicago, Illinois: Terra Foundation for the Arts, 1987. Pl. T-14, p. 123 (color).
Heslip, Colleen Cowles. But Were They Good Likenesses? (exh. cat., Hirschl & Adler Folk). New York: Hirschl & Adler Folk, 1989. Text p. 35; ill. p. 34 (color).
Southgate, M. Therese. "The Cover." The Journal of the American Medical Association 263:14 (April 11, 1990): 1912. Text p. 1912; ill. cover (color).
Kennedy, Elizabeth and Sophie Lévy. Faces of America: Portraits of the Terra Foundation for the Arts Collection, 1770–1940. (exh. cat., Musée d'Art Américain Giverny). Chicago, Illinois: Terra Foundation for the Arts, 2004. Text pp. 13, 33 (checklist); ill. p. 42 (color).
Kennedy, Elizabeth and Sophie Lévy. Visages de l'Amérique: le portrait dans la collection de la Terra Foundation for the Arts, 1770–1940. (exh. cat., Musée d'Art Américain Giverny). Chicago, Illinois: Terra Foundation for the Arts, 2004. Text pp. 13, 33 (checklist); ill. p. 42 (color).
Lévy, Sophie, et al. Twarze Ameryki: Portrety z kolekcji Terra Foundation for American Art, 1770–1940/Faces of America: Portraits from the collection of the Terra Foundation for American Art, 1770–1940. (exh. cat. International Cultural Center). Cracow, Poland: International Cultural Center, 2006. Text pp.16; ill. p. 61 (color).
Mooney, Amy M. "Portraits of Others." The Outsider 15:1 (Fall 2010): 13–16. Text p. 14; ill. p. 14 (color).
Oak, Jacquelyn and Gwendolyn Dubois Shaw. Artist and Visionary: William Matthew Prior Revealed. (exh. cat. Fenimore Art Museum, Cooperstown, New York). Cooperstown, New York: Fenimore Art Museum, 2012. Ill. cat. no. 37, p. 50 (color).
There are no additional artworks by this artist in the collection.