Portrait of Genio C. Scott

1859

Eastman Johnson

(American, 1824–1906)

Culture

America

Medium

oil on canvas

Measurements

Unframed: 102.3 x 127 cm (40 1/4 x 50 in.)

Credit Line

Mr. and Mrs. William H. Marlatt Fund 1965.475

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Location

207 American Realism

Did You Know?

Genio Scott's detailed writings describing 19th-century fish distribution remain highly useful for present-day conservationists.

Description

Eastman Johnson portrayed Genio Scott (1806–1879) as a gentleman of means wearing an informal, yet stylish robe in his New York residence. Scott had a successful career as a women’s fashion illustrator and magazine publisher, but his true passion was fly-fishing. Details reveal his attachment to the sport: two fishing poles lean on the wall; three tied flies lie on the table; a fourth is held in his hand, ready to be placed in his leather-bound fishing wallet. During his lifetime, Scott witnessed the decline of American fish species, a loss largely attributed to the dumping of industrial pollutants into waterways. In his contributions to sporting magazines, he protested this environmental degradation and advocated for measures to revitalize diminishing populations.