Artwork
Henry Clay
Henry Clay is an oil painting by the Biedermeier artist Oliver Frazer. It dates from 1840 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- Accession no.
- 68.222.23
- Credit line
- Gift of J. William Middendorf II, 1968
About this work
Henry Clay sits in a dark suit, his face lit softly against a plain background. Painted on metal around 1840, the surface gives the colors a smooth, enamel-like glow. There are no grand gestures here, just a well-known politician sitting for a careful portrait.
Subject & Meaning
The portrait portrays the 19th‑century American statesman Henry Clay in a formal pose that reflects his political stature, rendered in oil on metal and housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s American Wing. Oliver Frazer’s careful attention to facial detail and attire underscores Clay’s prominence, while the work’s classification as a portrait in the museum’s collection signals its recognized significance in American art history. Created in 1840, the work measures approximately 14.4 by 12.1 centimeters and belongs to the portrait genre.
Technique & Style
The work is executed in oil paint applied to a metal support, likely tin, as indicated by the description of the medium as oil on metal.
The work is executed in oil paint applied to a metal support, likely tin, as indicated by the description of the medium as oil on metal. This choice of support aligns with the small-scale portrait format typical of American portraiture in the 1840s. The handling appears to follow conventional oil techniques of the period, allowing for detailed rendering of Henry Clay’s features while maintaining a smooth surface.
Stylistically, the portrait belongs to the American Wing’s collection of early nineteenth‑century American portraiture, emphasizing a straightforward, representational approach characteristic of Oliver Frazer’s work from that decade.
History & Provenance
The portrait Henry Clay by Oliver Frazer is dated to 1840, aligning with Frazer’s documented activity during the early-to-mid 19th century. The work is an oil-on-metal painting, likely tin, a format associated with Frazer’s portable or small-scale portraits. The painting entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is currently located.
The Met’s record confirms the subject as Henry Clay, a prominent American statesman, and specifies the work’s dimensions (height 14.4 cm, width 12.1 cm). No documented commission records or early provenance details beyond its museum accession are provided in the cited sources.
Overview
This portrait by Frazer depicts the prominent American politician Henry Clay around 1840. Rendered in oil on a metal panel, the work presents a subdued yet direct likeness. Clay is shown in a dark suit, his features softly illuminated against an unadorned background, conveying a sense of quiet dignity rather than dramatic pronouncement.
Artist & collection
Artist
Oliver Frazer (1808 – April 9, 1864) was an American portrait painter. He was trained by Matthew Harris Jouett before going to Europe, and he became a portrait painter in his home state of Kentucky. He did portraits of…
