Portrait of Samuel Johnson | |
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Blinking Sam | |
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Artist | Joshua Reynolds |
Year | c. 1775 |
Medium | Oil on canvas |
Subject | Samuel Johnson |
Dimensions | 76 cm × 63 cm (30 in × 25 in) |
Location | The Huntington, San Marino, California, United States |
Accession | 2006.22 |
Portrait of Samuel Johnson, also known as Blinking Sam, is an oil-painted portrait of English lexicographer Samuel Johnson reading, created by English artist Joshua Reynolds around 1775. The painting highlights Johnson's vision problems, which led Johnson to deride the painting and say that he would not be "Blinking Sam", as quoted in Hester Thrale's Anecdotes of the Late Samuel Johnson. The artwork has since been noted to be the "best-known" portrait of Johnson, and became an Internet meme in 2012. The painting is located at The Huntington Library, San Marino, California, United States, where it is on display.