Henrietta Johnston: Pioneer Pastelist of Colonial America Henrietta de Beaulieu Johnston (c. 1674 – March 9, 1729) stands as a singular figure in American art history—the earliest recorded female artist and the first known pastelist working in the English colonies. Her legacy transcends mere chronology; she represents a courageous step forward for artistic expression during a formative period of colonial development, marking her as one of the most important artists of that era. Little is definitively known about Johnston’s origins or formal training. Speculation suggests she was born in nort…