ABSTRACT
Henrietta Deering Johnston is considered the first woman painter in what is now the United States. She was also one of the first artists in the world to use pastels as a medium. The body of her work includes approximately 40 portraits done on paper in colored chalk. Most of the portraits are 9 by 12 inches with a few measuring 14 by 16 inches. Johnston was probably self-taught and learned to paint by studying the work of other artists.
