The Lord is My Shepherd (Eastman Johnson) He is sitting against a blue jacket, which may indicate service in the Union army. President Abraham Lincoln had recently authorized organization of the United States Colored Troops. This is one of several works by Eastman Johnson with African-American subjects. The Lord is My Shepherd (Eastman Johnson) The Lord is My Shepherd is an 1863 oil on wood painting by American artist Eastman Johnson. The painting measures 16 5/8 x 13 1/8 in. (42.3 x 33.2 cm.) and is on display at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. The title of the painting comes from Psalm 23, which begins with the
Psalm 144 Psalm 144 Psalm 144 is the 144th psalm from the Book of Psalms in the Masoretic and modern numbering, corresponding to psalm 143 in the Vulgata Clementina. The text is attributed to David in the Masoretic text. The Septuagint has the additional specification of "David against Goliath", putting the text in the context of the narrative of David's fight against Goliath in 1 Samuel 17. The first verse is rendered in the KJV as "Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight". This translates the Hebrew , where "my strength" renders