Artwork
William Conklin
William Conklin is an oil painting by the Patna School of Painting artist Chinese Painter. It dates from 1800 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
To see how other artists painted American portraits, look up The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
A man in a dark coat looks straight at you. His face is lit softly, like candlelight. The background is almost black.
This painting was made around 1800 by a Chinese artist, which is unusual. Most portraits from this time were done by European or American painters. The artist likely never saw the man in person, he worked from a small print.
To see how other artists painted American portraits, look up The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Subject & Meaning
The work is a 1800 oil‑on‑canvas portrait attributed to a Chinese painter, showing a male sitter. Its genre is recorded as portrait, indicating that the image functions as a representation of an individual rather than a narrative scene. As a portrait, it serves to record the appearance and possibly the status of the depicted man, a common purpose of early 19th‑century portraiture.
The painting is listed in The American Wing collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is catalogued with dimensions of 58.4 × 44.5 cm.
Technique & Style
Attributed to the artist known as Chinese Painter and dated to 1800, this portrait of a man is executed in oil paint on a canvas support. The work measures 58.4 cm in height by 44.5 cm in width. Classified within the genre of portraiture, the piece is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, specifically associated with its American Wing.
The available records confirm the medium and dimensions but do not provide specific details regarding the artist's handling of the paint, the current physical condition of the surface, or distinct stylistic characteristics beyond its identification as a portrait.
History & Provenance
The portrait titled William Conklin, attributed to a Chinese Painter and dated to 1800, is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The work is classified within the museum's American Wing and is executed in oil on canvas. While specific accession numbers are not detailed in the provided records, the painting's physical dimensions are documented as 58.4 cm in height and 44.5 cm in width.
The artwork depicts a male subject and is cataloged as a portrait. The provided sources confirm the location and collection but do not contain information regarding a specific exhibition history or detailed inventory accession codes beyond its general classification within the institution.
Overview
This oil on canvas portrait, titled William Conklin, was created around 1800 by an anonymous Chinese artist. It depicts a man, William Conklin, whose identity is conveyed through a direct gaze. The painting's execution by a Chinese hand, rather than a European or American one, marks it as an unusual example of cross-cultural artistic exchange from its period, and it is displayed in The American Wing.
Context
The creation of an American portrait by a Chinese artist around 1800 represents a notable departure from the typical artistic practices of the period. While American and European painters dominated the genre of portraiture for Western subjects, this work exemplifies the broader global connections and artistic commissions that occasionally transcended conventional geographical and cultural boundaries during the early modern era.
Artist & collection
Artist
A Chinese painter active around 1800, this artist made small oil-on-glass portraits and ship portraits in bright colors.
