Artwork
Portrait of a Man
Portrait of a Man is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Arthur Devis. It dates from 1763 and is held in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The presence of the dog and fine attire likely symbolizes loyalty and social standing, while the composition conveys a sense of dignified poise.
The painting shows a man in a dark coat holding a dog, wearing a hat and standing indoors, reflecting typical 18th-century portraiture that emphasized status and personal identity. The presence of the dog and fine attire likely symbolizes loyalty and social standing, while the composition conveys a sense of dignified poise. The work is housed in the Art Institute of Chicago and dates to 1763, underscoring its significance within Arthur Devis' body of portrait work.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1763, this portrait by Arthur Devis is an oil painting on canvas. The work measures 76.5 cm in height and 64.1 cm in width. Stylistically, the composition focuses on a male figure who is depicted wearing a hat and accompanied by a dog. These elements define the visual structure of the piece, which is classified as a portrait genre work.
History & Provenance
Portrait of a Man is an oil on canvas portrait painted by Arthur Devis in 1763. It entered the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, where it remains on view in the American art galleries. The work depicts a man accompanied by a dog and wearing a hat, and its dimensions are 76.5 cm in height by 64.1 cm in width.
Portrait of a Man is an oil painting on canvas created in 1763 by Arthur Devis. The work measures 76.5 cm in height by 64.1 cm in width and depicts a man alongside a dog and a hat. It belongs to the portrait genre and is part of the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, where it has been exhibited since its acquisition.
Overview
Arthur Devis’s Portrait of a Man (1763) is an oil on canvas that belongs to the Art Institute of Chicago. The work shows a gentleman in a green coat with gold‑buttoned cuffs, holding a black hat, and a small dog seated at his feet. The figures stand on a low terrace that opens onto a gentle landscape of trees, water and distant buildings under a light sky.
Context
Devis’s work reflects the mid‑eighteenth‑century English taste for informal portraiture that blended individual likeness with a hint of narrative. The inclusion of a pet and a natural setting aligns with contemporary trends that emphasized genteel domesticity and the pleasures of the countryside.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Arthur Devis (19 February 1712 – 25 July 1787) was an English painter whose father, Anthony, was progenitor of what became a family dynasty of painters and writers.
