J. J. (Joshua James) Foster

Joshua James Foster was a British art historian and writer active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Library and archival records identify him as J. J. Foster (1847–1923), and describe him as an art historian with a body of work focused especially on miniature painting and portraiture.

His books show a clear fascination with the people behind artworks as well as the objects themselves. Among the works linked to him are British Miniature Painters and Their Works, Chats on Old Miniatures, The Stuarts, and French Art from Watteau to Prud'hon, suggesting a writer who moved comfortably between reference writing, art appreciation, and historical biography.

Archival descriptions also indicate that his research papers, manuscripts, and publications were preserved after his death, which fits the picture of a serious scholar with lasting value for collectors and historians. Even today, his books remain useful for readers interested in miniature painting, connoisseurship, and the wider world of British art history.