John Seward Johnson II

John Seward Johnson II
Born(1930-04-16)April 16, 1930
New Brunswick, New Jersey, U.S.
DiedMarch 10, 2020(2020-03-10) (aged 89)
Key West, Florida, U.S.
OccupationArtist
Spouses
Barbara Kline
​
​
(m. 1956; div. 1965)​
[1]
Joyce Horton
​
(m. 1965)​
[2]
Children3, including John Seward Johnson III
Parent(s)John Seward Johnson I
Ruth Dill
Websitewww.sewardjohnson.com

John Seward Johnson II (April 16, 1930 – March 10, 2020), also known as J. Seward Johnson Jr. and Seward Johnson, was an American artist known for trompe-l'œil painted bronze statues. He was a grandson of Robert Wood Johnson I, the co-founder of Johnson & Johnson, and of Colonel Thomas Melville Dill of Bermuda.

He designed life-size bronze statues that were castings of living people, depicting them engaged in day-to-day activities. A large staff of technicians did the fabrication of the works he designed. Computers and digital technology often were used in the manufacturing process. Sometimes the manufacture was contracted in China. He was the founder of Grounds For Sculpture, a 42-acre (17 ha) sculpture park and museum located in Hamilton Township, Mercer County, New Jersey.

  1. ^ Oppenheimer, Jerry (2013). Crazy Rich: Power, Scandal, and Tragedy Inside the Johnson & Johnson Dynasty. St. Martin's Publishing. ISBN 978-1250010933. Retrieved 2020-03-15 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ Goldsmith, Barbara (2011). Johnson v. Johnson. Knopf Doubleday Publishing. ISBN 978-0307800367 – via Google Books.