The New Bonnet

Eastman Johnson

1876 · Oil on academy board · The American Wing

During the 1870s, Johnson found inspiration on Nantucket, a Massachusetts island that preserved reassuring American traditions in an era of change. In an old-fashioned kitchen, a young woman shows off a new plumed hat to her more simply clothed sister. Their father, having returned with the shopper, warms his hands at the fireside and waits for the beverage being prepared by his more restrained daughter. The older man and the humble interior, exuding respect for the past, are in strong counterpoint to the fashionable daughter and her purchase. Johnson’s narrative commemorates time gone by and takes note of rising consumerism.

Artist

Eastman Johnson

Date

1876

Medium

Oil on academy board

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Bequest of Collis P. Huntington, 1900