Autumn Woodland
John Christen Johansen
John Christen Johansen
1876-1964
- Birthplace
- Copenhagen, Denmark
- Died
- New Canaan, CT
- Titles & Honors:
- Elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and elected to the National Academy of Design in 1915. Commissioned by the U.S. Department of State to produce depiction of the Treaty of Versailles, presidential portraits for Hoover, Coolidge, and Roosevelt, and commissioned portraits for many other government officials. Awards include: the Young Fortnightly prize, Chicago (1903), Honorable mention, Arts Club of Chicago (1903), Medal of honor, Chicago Society of Artists (1904), Bronze medal, Louisiana Purchase Exposition, St. Louis (1904), and Gold medal, Grand Prix Exposition, Buenos Aires (1910).
- Occupation:
- Portrait Painter, Instructor
Primarily a portrait painter, Johansen was born in Copenhagen but immigrated to the United States as an infant.
Growing up in Chicago, he could only attend art school thanks to the patronage of a family friend. After studying for more than a decade under various artists and schools, he began to exhibit his paintings while also becoming an art instructor.
By the late 1910s, Johansen began receiving high-profile commissions for portraits of various government officials including presidents Hoover, Coolidge, and Roosevelt.
Marrying another well-known portraitist, Myrtle MacLane, the couple worked in separate studios for several decades until their deaths in 1963.