Artwork
Self-Portrait
Self-Portrait is an oil painting by the Biedermeier artist Chester Harding. It dates from 1825 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The Self-Portrait (1825) by Chester Harding portrays the artist himself, functioning as a direct representation of his appearance and professional identity.
The Self-Portrait (1825) by Chester Harding portrays the artist himself, functioning as a direct representation of his appearance and professional identity. Harding is shown in a conventional pose, dressed in contemporary attire, which underscores his status as a practicing painter in early American art. The work is executed in oil on canvas, measuring approximately 76 × 64 cm. The painting's subject is solely Harding, and the sources do not record additional iconographic or symbolic motifs beyond the straightforward self-representation.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1825, Chester Harding's self-portrait is an oil painting on canvas. The work measures 76.3 cm in height and 63.6 cm in width. Classified as a portrait, the piece features the artist as its primary subject.
The application of oil paint on a woven canvas support represents the standard medium for formal portraiture of this period. The painting currently resides in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., as part of the Andrew W. Mellon Collection.
History & Provenance
Chester Harding executed this oil on canvas self-portrait in 1825. The work remained within the artist's family until it was held by his granddaughter, Anne Harding Arnd of Chicago. On June 27, 1924, Arnd sold the painting through Art House in New York to the prominent collector Thomas B. Clarke.
Following Clarke's death, the portrait was included in the dispersal of his estate; on January 29, 1936, it was sold via M. Knoedler & Co. to the A.W. Mellon Educational and Charitable Trust in Pittsburgh. The trust subsequently donated the work to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., in 1947, where it entered the Andrew W. Mellon Collection. The painting was referenced in a 1928 Philadelphia Museum of Art exhibition catalog documenting Clarke's collection.
Overview
Chester Harding's Self-Portrait, painted around 1825, is an oil on canvas work depicting the artist himself. This painting serves as a direct and unadorned representation of Harding, characteristic of his approach to portraiture. The composition emphasizes the subject's presence, presenting him in a straightforward manner without elaborate details or decorative elements, allowing the viewer to focus solely on the sitter's countenance.
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