Artwork
John Grimes
John Grimes is an oil painting by the American Folk Art artist Matthew Harris Jouett. It dates from 1824 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
The classification within the American Wing highlights its status as a significant example of Jouett's work in this genre.
Created in 1824 by Matthew Harris Jouett, the portrait of John C. Grimes is executed in oil paint on a wood panel support. The work measures 71.8 centimeters in height and 55.2 centimeters in width. As a formal portrait, the piece employs the traditional medium of oil applied to a rigid wooden surface, a common practice for early 19th-century American portraiture.
The classification within the American Wing highlights its status as a significant example of Jouett's work in this genre. The painting depicts a male subject, utilizing the oil-on-panel technique to capture the likeness and presence of the sitter with the material durability characteristic of the period.
History & Provenance
Matthew Harris Jouett executed the portrait of John C. Grimes in 1824. The work is an oil painting created on a wood panel. While the specific circumstances of its commission or its ownership history prior to entering a public institution are not detailed in the available records, the piece is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art within its American Wing.
The painting depicts Grimes as its primary subject and has been cataloged with dimensions of approximately 71.8 by 55.2 centimeters.
John Grimes is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where it is part of the American Wing's collection. The sources do not provide a specific accession or inventory number for the piece, nor do they record any documented exhibition history for this painting. It remains in the museum's permanent holdings.
Context
John Grimes, painted by Matthew Harris Jouett in 1824, exemplifies early American portraiture. As part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's American Wing collection, the work reflects Jouett's role in early nineteenth-century American portrait practice while maintaining European compositional conventions. The portrait is noted for its naturalistic rendering of the sitter's features and its place in the development of portraiture among early American artists.
Overview
John Grimes, a Kentucky politician from the early 1800s, is the subject of this oil on wood portrait. The artist, Matthew Harris Jouett, captured Grimes with a direct gaze, employing a swift painting method that resulted in a work characterized by its immediate and unadorned quality. The piece is notable for its subtle illumination, which emphasizes the sitter's features and contributes to its quiet presence.
Subject & Meaning
The portrait depicts John Grimes, a political figure active in Kentucky during the early 19th century. He is shown in a dark coat, looking directly forward, establishing an immediate connection with the viewer. This straightforward presentation aligns with a style of portraiture that aimed for an honest depiction of the sitter, reflecting the character of individuals in the American frontier without embellishment.
Artist & collection
Artist
Matthew Harris Jouett (Mercer County, Kentucky, 22 April 1788 – Lexington, Kentucky, 10 August 1827) was a noted American portrait painter, famous for painting portraits including Thomas Jefferson, George Rogers Clark and Lafayette.
