Portrait of Susanna Cardwell McCausland (Mrs. James McCausland) and Child

In a 1798 advertisement in the Baltimore Intelligencer; Joshua Johnson described himself as a “self-taught” genius. One of the first Black person known to have made a career for himself as an artist, Johnson worked in the Baltimore area from around 1795 until 1825. Not only was Johnson able to support himself and his family of five as an artist, but land records indicate that Johnson was a property owner in Montgomery, Frederick, and Anne Arundel counties after 1824.

Only one of Johnson’s surviving works is signed by the artist. The remainder of the works are attributed, and many are dated based on approximate ages as well as the costumes worn by the sitters. This painting likely dates to about 1805 and portrays one of the four children born to Susanna between 1800 and 1810.

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