The Truants
circa 1870 National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.
About this artwork
This oil on canvas depicts two young boys hiding inside the hollow of a large maple tree while presumably skipping school. It is characteristic of Johnson's narrative-driven American genre scenes.
Did you know?
Eastman Johnson was widely considered the most important American genre painter of his time, often focusing on the everyday lives of rural Americans. This painting captures a playful, quiet moment of childhood mischief, emphasizing the common theme of youth and nature that dominated 19th-century American artistic sensibilities. The setting suggests the maple sugaring season, a common late-winter tradition in rural New England.
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The Truants
Eastman Johnson, circa 1870
