Artwork
The Model
The Model is an oil painting by the Realist artist Boris Grigoriev. It dates from 1926 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Classified as a portrait genre work, the painting depicts a single female sitter, consistent with the conventional subject of an artist's model.
The Model is a portrait of a woman, executed in oil on canvas in 1926 by Boris Grigoriev. Classified as a portrait genre work, the painting depicts a single female sitter, consistent with the conventional subject of an artist's model. The title itself, The Model, signals that the woman is shown in the role traditionally assigned to her in studio practice, serving as the visual reference for the artist.
Beyond this core identification, the available sources do not supply further information about the sitter's identity, her attributes, or any symbolic or allegorical content the image may carry. As a result, the iconography and broader meaning of the work cannot be elaborated from the documented record.
Technique & Style
The Model is an oil painting on canvas executed in 1926 by Boris Grigoriev. The handling is consistent with the artist’s expressive portrait style of the mid-1920s, characterized by fluid yet deliberate brushwork that defines form through modulated tonal shifts rather than linear contour. Grigoriev’s technique emphasizes the sitter’s three-dimensional presence through subtle glazing and a restrained palette dominated by earthy ochres and muted greens, punctuated by cooler highlights.
The composition centers on the figure’s head and shoulders, arranged against a loosely brushed background that recedes without competing with the subject. The Metropolitan Museum of Art records the work’s dimensions as 72.7 cm in height and 60 cm in width.
History & Provenance
The Model is an oil on canvas portrait painted by Russian artist Boris Grigoriev in 1926. The work, classified as a painting and belonging to the portrait genre, portrays a woman and measures 72.7 × 60 cm. It was created in the year recorded as its inception and subsequently entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is housed. The painting’s creation history is documented in the artist’s internal entry and confirmed by the museum’s cataloguing data.
Boris Grigoriev's 1926 painting The Model is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The artwork, executed in oil paint on canvas, measures 72.7 cm in height and 60 cm in width. No specific inventory or accession number is provided in the sources, nor is there any record of its exhibition history.
Overview
Boris Grigoriev's The Model, created in 1926, is an oil-on-canvas portrait. This work, now part of The Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection, exemplifies the artist's engagement with realist representation. It depicts a solitary female figure, rendered with a distinctive visual approach that highlights both form and texture. Grigoriev was known for his diverse artistic practice, encompassing painting, printmaking, and writing.
Context
Boris Grigoriev pursued a multifaceted artistic career that extended beyond painting. His creative output included significant contributions to printmaking and literature, reflecting a comprehensive approach to the arts. This multidisciplinary engagement informed his visual work, allowing him to explore various forms of expression and narrative within the broader context of early 20th-century art.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Boris Grigoriev (Russian: Бори́с Дми́триевич Григо́рьев; 11 July 1886 – 7 February 1939) was a painter, graphic artist, and writer.
