Who painted Portrait of the Painter?

Portrait of the Painter was painted by John La Farge in 1859.

Where can I see Portrait of the Painter?

Portrait of the Painter is held by Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What movement is Portrait of the Painter?

Portrait of the Painter is associated with American Impressionism.

Artwork

Portrait of the Painter

John La Farge , 1859

Portrait of the Painter is an oil painting by the American Impressionist artist John La Farge. It dates from 1859 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Accession no.: 34.134
Credit line: Samuel D. Lee Fund, 1934

About this work

Subject & Meaning

Rendered in oil on wood panel in 1859, the work belongs to the portrait genre and is housed in The American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The painting presents John La Farge in the guise of a self-portrait, directly depicting the artist as its sole figure. Rendered in oil on wood panel in 1859, the work belongs to the portrait genre and is housed in The American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. By rendering himself, La Farge signals his professional identity and introspective stance, using the conventions of portraiture to assert his status as both creator and subject.

The composition therefore functions as a visual statement of artistic self-awareness and the painter's role within the cultural milieu of mid-nineteenth-century America.

Technique & Style

Executed in 1859, this self-portrait by John La Farge is realized in oil paint applied to a wood panel support. The work measures 40.8 by 29.2 centimeters, presenting a formal composition focused on the artist himself as the sole subject. As a piece within the genre of portraiture, the painting uses traditional materials characteristic of mid-nineteenth-century practice, and the selection of a rigid wood panel rather than canvas reflects an approach geared toward surface handling and durability. The work is held in The American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

History & Provenance

The painting is held by The Metropolitan Museum of Art, accessioned as 1975.1.199. It was first recorded in the museum's collection in 1975 through an acquisition that remains unspecified in available documentation. No exhibition history prior to its accession is documented in the cited sources.

Overview

The artwork, titled Portrait of the Painter, is an oil painting rendered on a wood panel. It depicts a male figure seated in a chair, directly engaging the viewer with a serious expression. This piece is notable as a self-portrait, where the artist himself is the subject, offering a direct representation of his own image. It is housed within the American Wing collection.

James Abbott McNeill Whistler, William Merritt Chase

Artist & collection

Artist

John La Farge

John La Farge (March 31, 1835 – November 14, 1910) was an American artist whose career spanned illustration, murals, interior design, painting, and popular books on his Asian travels and other art-related topics.

Museum

Metropolitan Museum of Art

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