Artwork
Felix Adler
Felix Adler is an oil painting by the American Impressionist artist Douglas Volk. It dates from 1914 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The piece serves as a direct visual record of the sitter as rendered by the artist in the early twentieth century.
Douglas Volk's 1914 oil painting, Felix Adler, functions primarily as a formal portrait depicting a man. As a genre work classified specifically as a portrait, the composition focuses on the physical representation of its subject rather than illustrating a narrative scene or complex allegorical program. The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds the canvas, which measures 75.3 by 56.5 centimeters.
The work's iconography is limited to the depiction of the individual himself, presented in the traditional manner of portraiture without additional symbolic elements or external references mentioned in the available records. The piece serves as a direct visual record of the sitter as rendered by the artist in the early twentieth century.
Technique & Style
Felix Adler is an oil painting on canvas created by Douglas Volk in 1914. The work employs traditional oil paint applied to a canvas support, a medium and technique typical of early twentieth‑century portraiture. As a portrait, it presents a male sitter in a straightforward, representational manner, reflecting the genre conventions of the period.
The painting is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where its dimensions are 75.3 cm in height and 56.5 cm in width.
History & Provenance
Douglas Volk completed the portrait of Felix Adler in 1914, as recorded in the work’s creation history and confirmed by dated entries in the sources. The painting was executed in oil on canvas, measuring 75.3 × 56.5 cm, and depicts a male sitter in a conventional portrait format. Following its completion, the artwork entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it has remained since acquisition; the precise acquisition date is not specified in the documentation.
The piece is catalogued under the museum’s records as part of the Adler portrait series, reflecting a clear provenance from the artist’s studio to institutional ownership.
The painting Felix Adler by Douglas Volk is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is part of the institution's holdings. According to the available records, the work is catalogued as an oil-on-canvas portrait measuring 75.3 cm in height by 56.5 cm in width. No specific accession number is recorded in the available sources.
The sources do not document any exhibition history for the painting beyond its presence in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection.
Overview
Douglas Volk's 1914 oil painting, "Felix Adler," presents a formal portrait of its namesake. This work exemplifies Volk's approach to figure painting, which aligns with the broader currents of American Impressionism while maintaining a focus on individual character. The painting is currently housed in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, representing a key aspect of early 20th-century American portraiture.
Context
Douglas Volk was a prominent American artist known for his portraits and figure paintings. Beyond his studio practice, he significantly contributed to art education, holding teaching positions at institutions such as Cooper Union and the Art Students League of New York. Volk also played a foundational role in establishing the Minneapolis School of Fine Arts and co-founded an artist colony in Maine, shaping the artistic landscape of his time.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Stephen Arnold Douglas Volk (February 23, 1856 – February 7, 1935) was an American portrait and figure painter, muralist, and educator.
- Alphonso T. Clearwater
Portrait of Władysław Bogusławski
Portrait of Teodor Rygier, sculptor
Portrait of Hans Christian Andersen Bekkevahr
Portrait of Hans Christian Andersen Bekkevahr
Selbstbildnis
Pyotr Tchaikovsky
Hadadi Br. Wesselenyi Ferencz
Der Bildhauer Vincenz Pilz
Der Maler Sigmund L´Allemand
Selbstbildnis
Portretul Dr. Rossignon
