Artwork
An Artist and His Family
An Artist and His Family is an oil painting. It dates from 1830 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting An Artist and His Family portrays a German artist of the early nineteenth century together with his relatives, a domestic group scene typical of mid-century portraiture. Executed in oil on canvas in 1830, the work measures 75 by 63.5 cm and belongs to the portrait genre. Its iconography centers on the figure of the artist, suggesting notions of lineage and familial continuity.
Technique & Style
Classified as a portrait, it belongs to the German nineteenth-century tradition of group domestic imagery rendered in oil on canvas.
An Artist and His Family is executed in oil on canvas, a standard support and medium for formal portraiture of the period. The painting measures 75 by 63.5 centimeters, a relatively modest scale suited to an intimate family portrait. Classified as a portrait, it belongs to the German nineteenth-century tradition of group domestic imagery rendered in oil on canvas. No additional information regarding specific handling, brushwork, or surface condition is provided in the available sources.
History & Provenance
An Artist and His Family was painted in 1830 by an unidentified German artist in oil on canvas. The earliest recorded owner was Rose M. de Forest, who sold the work on 3 January 1921 to Thomas B. Clarke (1848-1931) of New York. After Clarke's death, the painting was sold from his collection on 29 January 1936 through the New York dealers M. Knoedler & Co. to the A.W. Mellon Educational and Charitable Trust in Pittsburgh.
In 1942 the trust transferred the painting to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., where it remains in the Andrew W. Mellon Collection. Its provenance is documented in the 1928 Clarke exhibition catalogue, annotated with information from the Knoedler files, copies of which are held in the National Gallery's curatorial records and library.
Overview
This oil on canvas painting, titled An Artist and His Family, presents a domestic scene. It depicts a male figure, presumably the artist himself, engaged in his work while surrounded by his family. The composition emphasizes the intimate connection between the artist's professional life and his personal sphere, portraying a moment of quiet domesticity within a simple setting. The artwork captures a sense of comfort and shared presence among the subjects.
Artist & collection
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