Artwork
William Archer Shee (1810–1899), the Artist's Son
William Archer Shee (1810–1899), the Artist's Son is an oil painting by Martin Archer Shee. It dates from 1820 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
According to the catalog entry, the subject is identified as the artist’s son, emphasizing a personal rather than public commission.
The painting portrays William Archer Shee, the only son of Sir Martin Archer Shee, as a youthful sitter. Executed in 1820 in oil on canvas, the work measures 76.2 × 62.9 cm and belongs to the portrait genre. According to the catalog entry, the subject is identified as the artist’s son, emphasizing a personal rather than public commission.
The intimate depiction conveys ideas of lineage and the continuation of the family’s artistic tradition, situating the sitter within a domestic context that highlights both familial affection and the transmission of creative heritage.
Technique & Style
The work is an oil painting on canvas, dated to 1820, and belongs to the portrait genre. It depicts a young boy, likely William Archer Shee, rendered with the attention to likeness and detail characteristic of early nineteenth-century portraiture. The support is a woven canvas prepared for oil media, and the handling follows traditional oil-paint techniques of the period, allowing for smooth modeling of flesh and subtle rendering of clothing and background. No specific condition information is provided in the sources.
History & Provenance
The portrait of William Archer Shee was produced by Sir Martin Archer Shee in 1820, executed in oil on canvas. Because the sitter was the painter's own son, born in 1810, the work was created when the boy was about ten years old, placing it within the artist's family portraiture rather than a formal external commission. The painting measures 76.2 by 62.9 centimeters and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The available sources do not supply a specific accession number or a detailed chronology of past exhibitions.
Overview
This oil painting by Martin Archer Shee, created in 1820, captures his son, William Archer Shee, in his youth. The work exemplifies the portrait genre, for which the Irish artist was widely recognized. Shee achieved considerable acclaim during the Regency period, and this intimate depiction of his child is now part of The Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Sir Martin Archer Shee (23 December 1769 – 13 August 1850) was an Irish painter and writer.
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