I wish I could read that little text description on the side there.
Samuel Johnson c. 1775
Joshua Reynolds (British 1723 - 1792)
Oil on canvas
Gift of the honorable Frances Rothschild and Loren Rothschild
A poet, essayist, philosopher, lexicographer, Samuel Johnson(1709 - 1784) is perhaps best known for his monumental undertaking of The dictionary of the English Language published in 1775. 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.
Got some of the info via googling
Where's the other half of it?
I found it in a random pub in London where he apparently liked to hang out
Yeah, was it created for the meme? By whom?
Ribbit
Giving you the backstory and appraisals of vintage memes!
Submissions should be vintage memes or commentary about vintage memes. Commenters are advised to appraise the internet value and provenance meme antiquities.
Rules:
