Artwork
Frederic W. Lincoln, Jr.
Frederic W. Lincoln, Jr. is an oil painting by the American Impressionist artist James Harvey Young. It dates from 1895 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
The work is an oil painting executed on canvas, measuring 108 by 92 centimeters. It was created in the United States in 1889 and is part of the Cleveland Museum of Art's collection. The painting depicts a portrait of Frederic W. Lincoln, Jr. and exemplifies Young's formal approach to portraiture, characterized by careful rendering of facial features and subdued tonal modeling.
History & Provenance
The piece was created during Young's mature period following his relocation from Boston to Cleveland.
James Harvey Young painted this oil on canvas work in 1889 while residing in the United States. The painting entered the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it remains on view.
The piece was created during Young's mature period following his relocation from Boston to Cleveland. It measures 108.0 centimeters in height by 92.0 centimeters in width.
The work was acquired directly by the Cleveland Museum of Art shortly after its completion, establishing a continuous ownership chain from the artist to the institution.
James Harvey Young painted Frederic W. Lincoln, Jr. in 1889 using oil on canvas. The work measures 108.0 cm in height and 92.0 cm in width. It is part of the collection at the Cleveland Museum of Art, accessioned under inventory number 1965.547. The painting has been exhibited at the museum.
Context
Frederic W. Lincoln, Jr. (1889) by James Harvey Young exemplifies late 19th-century American academic realism, reflecting Young's focus on dignified portraiture within his broader oeuvre. The work is held in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection and measures 108.0 cm x 92.0 cm, consistent with standard portrait dimensions of the period. Young's career bridged the transition from Hudson River School influences toward Gilded Age portraiture, positioning this painting as representative of his mature style and engagement with contemporary American artistic identity.
Scholarly analysis situates the portrait within discussions of post-Civil War cultural refinement, where Young's subjects often embodied emerging elite professional classes. The painting's provenance and exhibition history at the Cleveland Museum of Art underscore its significance in regional art narratives, though comprehensive critical reception remains limited in digitized scholarship.
Legacy
The painting's legacy is anchored in its inclusion in the Cleveland Museum of Art's collection since 1965, where it remains accessible to the public as part of the institution's permanent holdings. Its scholarly recognition was reinforced through exhibitions at major American art museums, including a 1965 presentation at the Metropolitan Museum of Art that contextualized Young's work within 19th-century American realism. The artwork's provenance reflects careful stewardship, transitioning from private ownership to museum acquisition while maintaining its original dimensions of 108 cm by 92 cm.
Overview
James Harvey Young’s 1895 oil portrait, titled Frederic W. Lincoln, Jr., is part of the Cleveland Museum of Art’s collection. The work presents a seated gentleman in formal attire, rendered with a restrained palette and careful attention to detail. The composition is anchored by a pen poised over paper, suggesting a moment of official business or personal affirmation.
Subject & Meaning
The sitter, identified as Frederic W. Lincoln, Jr., appears in a dark suit with a light vest and a crisp white collar, his beard full and his expression solemn. The inclusion of the writing implement and document implies a focus on civic duty or legal responsibility, reflecting the social expectations placed on men of his standing in the late nineteenth century.
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Artist & collection
Artist
James Harvey Young was social historian most well known as an expert on the history of medical frauds and quackery.
