Unknown man, formerly known as Cornelius Johnson

Sitterback to top

• Cornelius Johnson (1593-1661), Portrait painter. Sitter associated with 2 portraits, Artist associated with 133 portraits.

Artistback to top

• Cornelius Johnson (1593-1661), Portrait painter. Artist associated with 133 portraits, Sitter associated with 2 portraits.

This portraitback to top

This painting was purchased as a self-portrait of English-born artist Cornelius Johnson. However, the sitter's features bear little similarity to authenticated portraits of Johnson.
The sitter is presented simply and without decoration. His sober costume, broad shoulders and pointed beard conform to contemporary ideals of masculinity and fashion. The high quality satin doublet suggests that the sitter was reasonably wealthy. His gesture of pointing towards his chest may be intended to emphasise his virtue, strength of character and self-reliance. Similar gestures are occasionally found in other portraits of writers, artists and successful professional men.

Linked publicationsback to top

• Cooper, John, Oliver the First: Contemporary Images of Oliver Cromwell, 1999, p. 15
• Cooper, Tarnya (introduction) Banville, John (character sketch) Chevalier, Tracy (character sketch) Fellowes, Julian (character sketch) McCall Smith, Alexander (character sketch) Pratchett, Terry (character sketch) Singleton, Sarah (character sketch) Trollope, Joanna (character sketch) Waters, Minette (character sketch), Imagined Lives: Portraits of Unknown People, 2011 (accompanying the exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery from December 2011 - June 2012), p. 49
• Saywell, David; Simon, Jacob, Complete Illustrated Catalogue, 2004, p. 693

Linked displays and exhibitionsback to top

• Imagined Lives: Portraits of Unknown People (3 December 2011 - 8 July 2012)