Mary Anne Jewins Burnett

This c. 1812 portrait of Mary Anne Jewins Burnett (1776-1838) by Joshua Johnson hangs in the Maryland Historical Society Museum in Baltimore, Maryland.

"The Burnett Family, Tavern Owners. An influx of trade through Baltimore in the early 19th century meant an increase in the number of business people visiting the city. The Burnetts accommodated them in their Baltimore tavern in Fells Point. After Charles's death, Mary was the proprietor of the new Dock Hotel at the lower end of McElderry's Wharf, now Pier 5, off Pratt Street from 1824 to 1830. The Burnetts chose Johnson to paint their portraits and document their success. Mrs. Burnett wears fashionable clothing and jewelry and demonstrates her literacy by holding a book. Charles's uniform which features a silver breast plate similar to ones seen in this exhibition associate him with the War of 1812." -- Maryland Historical Society

 The Portrait Gallery says this about Joshua Johnson the painter.

"Joshua Johnson, the earliest known free-black portrait painter in America, remained unknown until 1939. His unique story has evolved slowly as scholars have pieced. together works attributed to him as well as documents related to his persona] history. Chattel records affirm that Johnson was a 'light mulatto,' born to an enslaved woman owned by William Wheeler, Sr. of Baltimore, and a white man, George Johnson (Johnston). On October 6, 1764 Wheeler sold Johnson to his father for $25 and arranged for his son to apprentice as a blacksmith. In 1796, the Baltimore city directory lists Johnson as a portrait painter living between Hanover and Howard Street. On December 19, 1798 Johnson placed his first advertisement in the Baltimore Advertiser, describing himself as a 'self-taught genius.' In the early nineteenth century, portraits were expensive luxury items. While the wealthy of the city patronized Rembrandt Peale and Thomas Sully, Johnson offered more affordable paintings to the rising middlclass residents his neighborhood." -- Maryland Historical Society