This painting shows a young boy sitting on a wooden rocking chair next to a dark metal stove. He is leaning forward with one arm extended towards the stove door, which is partially open, revealing bright orange light. The boy is wearing a dark cap, a brown long-sleeved shirt, and light-colored pants. His face is partially turned away, focused on the stove, but we can see his pale skin and rosy cheeks. Firewood is scattered on the floor around the stove. The background includes plain gray walls, and on the right are rows of what appear to be wooden desks.
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The Early Scholar

painter Eastman Johnson (American, 1824 - 1906)

c. 1865

Medium
oil on academy board on canvas
Classification
Painting
Dimensions
overall: 43.2 x 53.7 cm (17 x 21 1/8 in.) ; framed: 61.6 x 71.8 x 6 cm (24 1/4 x 28 1/4 x 2 3/8 in.)
Culture
American
Museum
National Gallery of Art, CAB
Credit line
Chester Dale Collection
Rights
Public domain (NGA Open Access, CC0), as the museum states it.
Who can see it
Tweens profiles and older: its subjects are known and suit older children. How works are placed

View at the National Gallery of Art