Portrait of Samuel Johnson ("Blinking Sam")

A poet, essayist, philosopher, and lexicographer, Samuel Johnson (1709-1784) is perhaps best known for his monumental undertaking, The Dictionary of the English Language, published in 1755. This intimate portrayal has long been regarded as a personal tribute to the writer by his friend, the painter Joshua Reynolds. It captures Johnson in a private moment, reading a book, hands tightly grasping the pages, eyes squinting to see the text. The energy with which Reynolds depicts Johnson almost devouring the words on the page vividly conveys his friend’s deep passion for knowledge.