Artwork
Allan Melville
Allan Melville is a watercolor work on paper by the American Impressionist artist John Rubens Smith. It dates from 1810 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
The artist used thin layers of paint, called glazing, to make the shadows soft and the skin glow.
This watercolor shows Allan Melville, a serious man with a white collar and dark coat. His eyes look tired but sharp, like he’s seen a lot. The artist used thin layers of paint, called glazing, to make the shadows soft and the skin glow.
Smith was trained in England but ended up painting Americans. He traveled the country making portraits, often for people who wanted a record of themselves. This one’s from 1810, so you can see how clothes and style looked back then.
If you like this style, check out more works by John Rubens Smith.
Subject & Meaning
The work is a portrait depicting Allan Melville, a man identified as the main subject of the piece. Created by John Rubens Smith in 1810, the image focuses entirely on the individual's likeness without additional narrative elements or symbolic attributes described in the available records. As a straightforward portrait, the artwork serves to represent Melville himself, capturing his physical appearance rather than illustrating a broader allegorical scene or complex iconography.
Technique & Style
John Rubens Smith executed the 1810 portrait of Allan Melville using a mixed-media approach on smooth, off-white wove paper. The artist combined watercolor and gouache with graphite to create the image, a technique characteristic of early 19th-century American portraiture. The work measures 22.5 cm in height and 17.1 cm in width.
This small-scale format focuses attention on the sitter's face, rendered with the precision afforded by the graphite underdrawing and the soft tonal transitions of the water-based pigments.
History & Provenance
The work titled "Allan Melville" is a portrait painted by John Rubens Smith in 1810 using watercolor, gouache and graphite on smooth off‑white wove paper.
It measures 22.5 cm by 17.1 cm and represents the American‑born merchant Allan Melville; the image is classified within the American Wing and falls under the portrait genre.
The painting entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it has been displayed since its acquisition; its provenance is limited to its creation by Smith and subsequent inclusion in the museum’s holdings.
The watercolor, gouache, and graphite portrait of Allan Melville by John Rubens Smith is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Classified within the museum's American Wing, the work measures 22.5 by 17.1 centimeters.
While the piece dates to 1810, the provided records do not list specific inventory or accession numbers, nor do they document any public exhibitions in which the portrait has been displayed.
Overview
John Rubens Smith's 1810 portrait, Allan Melville, captures its subject using watercolor, gouache, and graphite on paper. This work exemplifies the artist's contribution to early American portraiture. Smith, originally from London, established himself as a significant figure in the visual arts scene across the United States during this period, known for both his painting and printmaking.
Context
Born in London, John Rubens Smith brought his artistic training to the United States, where he became an influential painter and instructor. He traveled extensively, producing numerous portraits for American patrons seeking visual documentation of themselves and their families. His work, including Allan Melville, offers insight into the sartorial styles and artistic practices prevalent in the nascent American art landscape of the early 1800s.
Artist & collection
Artist
John Rubens Smith (January 23, 1775 – August 21, 1849) was a London-born painter, printmaker and art instructor who worked in the United States.
