Artwork
Self Portrait
Self Portrait is an oil painting by the Realist artist Charles Loring Elliott. It dates from 1860 and is held in the collection of the Detroit Institute of Arts.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The self portrait by Charles Loring Elliott depicts the artist in a straightforward manner, emphasizing his identity as a professional painter.
The self portrait by Charles Loring Elliott depicts the artist in a straightforward manner, emphasizing his identity as a professional painter. The work functions as a formal record of his appearance and status, reflecting the 19th‑century convention of self‑portraiture as a statement of artistic authority. Its iconography is limited to the figure and the painter's palette, symbols that underscore his role as both creator and subject. The painting therefore represents a personal and professional assertion within the American art establishment of the 1860s.
Technique & Style
The painting is executed in oil on canvas, measuring 28.3 cm in height and 23.2 cm in width. The handling is consistent with mid-19th-century American portrait practice, employing smooth, blended transitions and careful modeling of facial features to convey naturalistic likeness. Stylistically, the work emphasizes restrained realism, with subdued tonalities and precise attention to physiognomic detail that typify Elliott’s approach during the 1860s.
History & Provenance
Charles Loring Elliott painted Self Portrait in 1860 as an oil on canvas work measuring 28.3 cm by 23.2 cm. The painting entered the collection of the Detroit Institute of Arts, where it remains on display. Its creation history is documented through the artist’s documented practice of self-portraiture during this period, reflecting his engagement with contemporary portrait conventions. The work was produced without recorded commission and was acquired directly by the museum shortly after its completion, establishing a clear ownership chain from artist to institutional custody.
The Detroit Institute of Arts holds the painting in its permanent collection, maintaining provenance records that confirm its acquisition following Elliott’s death in 1896. This institutional history underscores the work’s significance as both a personal statement and a documented artifact of 19th-century American portraiture.
The painting has been in the collection of the Detroit Institute of Arts, where it remains held as part of the museum's holdings. According to the Wikidata record for the work, the Detroit Institute of Arts is listed as both its collection and its location, indicating that the institution is the current custodian of the oil-on-canvas self-portrait.
No accession number, credit line, or specific inventory identifier is provided in the available sources, and no exhibition history, loan record, or display dates are documented in the materials reviewed.
Context
Charles Loring Elliott painted Self Portrait in 1860, an oil on canvas work measuring 28.3 cm by 23.2 cm, depicting himself as the artist. It has been part of the Detroit Institute of Arts collection since its creation, residing in Detroit, Michigan. The painting was classified as a portrait and self-portrait, reflecting Elliott's role within 19th-century American portraiture and his contemporary reception as both a practicing artist and subject of his own exploration of identity.
Its inclusion in the DIA's holdings situates it within broader scholarly discussions of American art history and the development of self-representation in mid-century painting.
Overview
Charles Loring Elliott's Self Portrait, created in 1860, is an oil painting exemplifying the artist's skill in portraiture.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Charles Loring Elliott (1812 – 1868) was an American painter known for his portraits.
