In 1817 James William Wallack, actor and theatrical producer, married actress Susan Johnstone, who was daughter of John Henry Johnstone (known as Irish Johnstone, a singer, comedian, and member of the circle of the Prince of Wales). She enjoyed successful comic roles using her maiden name. In 1818 and frequently after that she came to New York with her husband. Of their four sons, the eldest, John Johnstone Wallack, known as Lester Wallack, was also an actor, as was his second son, Arthur. Mrs. Wallack died in 1851.
Like his contemporary THOMAS SULLY, Henry Inman painted several portraits of theatrical figures. Sully exhibited a Portrait of Mrs. Wallack at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in 1819. Inman painted a full-length-in-small of James William Wallack (unlocated), portraits of Mr. and Mrs. Wallack (both unlocated) that he exhibited at the National Academy of Design in 1828, and yet another portrait of Mrs. Wallack, n.d. (Museum of the City of New York). Hair and costume styles indicate that the museum’s portrait was painted about 1828 and the portrait in the collection of the Museum of the City of New York much later. In both portraits of Mrs. Wallack one can see the full romantic style that won for Inman the title "the American Lawrence."
