Why did Samuel Johnson think details of daily life were important in biographies?

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Painting of Samuel Johnson showing Johnson seated at a desk with a quill in hand and papers before him, wearing a brown coat and white wig. — Samuel Johnson Samuel Johnson, oil on canvas by Sir Joshua Reynolds, c. 1756; in the National Portrait Gallery, London.

Samuel Johnson believed that the inclusion of minute details of daily life was essential in biography because these specific elements are what allow a writer to effectively re-create a living character for the reader.1

In his view, the primary business of the biographer is to capture these intimate, everyday realities rather than focusing solely on grand or public events. Furthermore, Johnson maintained that individuals did not need to possess exalted fame to be worthy subjects of a biography, as the value of the work lies in its ability to present a faithful and vivid portrait of a person as they truly were.1