Tea Party Diva - Life & Craft

Who Was the Girl in the Painting?

The Tea Party, was originally known as The Portrait of Clara Hall.

Clara Hall died in childhood, and her parents asked Johnson to do the portrait as a memorial to their precious daughter.

Johnson himself, had a three year old daughter named Ethel. It is thought that he used Ethel and some of his own furniture as models for the painting. The same furniture appears in some of his other paintings, which would appear to add credence to this theory.

The Tea Party was painted in the Victorian Era. Clara is dressed in delicate clothes, of a high quality - possibly her Sunday best. Her tea party with her toys adds to the sense of innocence of the little girl. She is depicted as almost doll like and fragile herself.

The Story Behind The Painting - Another Dimension
That we know the painting was a memorial to little Clara, adds an element of poignancy. These insights makes the painting all the more meaningful and interesting, at a people level, and not just at an artistic level. This is true too of Mary Cassatt’s impressionist painting, Lady at the Tea Table.

Tea Parties - Victorian Era

Tea parties for adults had become very popular in the Victorian era, particularly in society circles. The origin of Afternoon Tea is attributed to the Duchess of Bedford in England. It was not long before tea parties were in vogue at American and European social occasions.

Nursery Teas - Victorian Era

Nursery teas for children were also popular. Children’s tea parties also featured in children’s poems and stories of the period. One well known story of the time was Alice in Wonderland with its Mad Hatter’s Tea Party.

It is not known whether Johnson’s choice of the tea party scene was at the request of Clara’s parents, or poetic licence on the part of the artist. In any case, the tea party scene has an air of innocence and life, rather than a traditional full portrait of the child on her own.

The Artist - Eastman Johnson

Johnson has captured the detail of the Victorian interiors. The darkness of the furniture contrasts with the bold furnishings and the lightness of the tea party scene, with Clara herself, as the focal point.

Eastman Johnson was born in Lovell, Maine in 1824. He showed an aptitude and early interest in art even as a child. He studied lithography, and then later, in Washington, he developed his portraiture skills. Among his portrait subjects were John Quincy Adams, Daniel Webster and Dolly Madison.

Where You Can See The Tea Party Painting

The Tea Party was donated by descendants of the family, to the Phoenix Art Museum, where it now resides. The painting is oil on panel.

Tea in Art, Times Past