Henrietta De Beaulieu Dering Johnston

Place: France

Death: 1729

Biography:

Henrietta Johnston, also known as Henrietta de Beaulieu Dering Johnston, was a pastelist of uncertain origin who was active in the English colonies in North America from approximately 1708 until her death in 1729. She is both the earliest recorded female artist and the first known pastelist working in the English colonies, and is the first portraitist known to have worked in what would become the southern United States. Johnston is believed to have been born in France to Huguenot parents, and was likely educated in the art of pastel portrait painting in Europe before moving to the English colonies. She was married twice, first to Robert Dering and then to Nathaniel Johnston, and had several children. Johnston's pastel portraits are known for their delicate handling of the medium and their sensitive depiction of their subjects. She is considered to be one of the most important artists of the colonial period in America.