Artwork
Mr. and Mrs. Daniel T. MacFarlan
Mr. and Mrs. Daniel T. MacFarlan is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Theodore E. Pine. It dates from 1858 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This oil on canvas, titled Mr.
- Accession no.
- 50.155.1
- Credit line
- Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Louis D. Gregg, 1950
About this work
A man and woman sit side by side in dark, old-fashioned clothes, he holding a book, she resting a hand on his knee. Painted in 1858, when most portraits showed people stiff and serious. Theodore E. Pine kept this couple relaxed, almost about to smile, working in thin, smooth strokes with no heavy paint or dramatic shadow.
Technique & Style
The composition arranges the sitters in a balanced, frontal format, emphasizing clarity and social presence.
Theodore E. Pine's 1858 portrait Mr. and Mrs. Daniel T. MacFarlan is executed in oil on canvas, measuring 142.2 cm in height and 111.8 cm in width. The handling reflects mid-nineteenth-century academic portraiture, with smooth, blended transitions in flesh tones and controlled brushwork to articulate textures of costume and accessories. The composition arranges the sitters in a balanced, frontal format, emphasizing clarity and social presence.
The man's dark suit and the woman's light dress are rendered with careful attention to fabric sheen and detail, while the subdued palette and controlled lighting reinforce the formal, dignified character of the portrait.
History & Provenance
Theodore E. Pine created the oil-on-canvas portrait Mr. and Mrs. Daniel T. MacFarlan in 1858. Classified within American painting, it depicts a couple and measures 142.2 by 111.8 centimeters. The work is held in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, within The American Wing.
The full ownership chain prior to the museum's acquisition is not detailed in available records, and no exhibition history is documented in the cited sources.
Overview
This oil on canvas, titled Mr. and Mrs. Daniel T. MacFarlan, dates from 1858. Housed in the American Wing, it depicts a married couple seated together. The portrait is notable for its departure from the formal conventions common at the time, presenting the subjects with an unusual sense of ease and approachability.
Subject & Meaning
The painting portrays Mr. and Mrs. Daniel T. MacFarlan in a relaxed, side-by-side pose. The man holds a book, while the woman gently places her hand on his knee, suggesting an intimate connection. Unlike many contemporary portraits that emphasized solemnity, this work captures the couple with expressions that hint at a forthcoming smile, conveying a sense of warmth and individual personality.
Context
Created in 1858, Mr. and Mrs. Daniel T. MacFarlan stands out against the prevailing trends in portraiture of its period. While many portraits from the mid-19th century typically presented sitters in rigid, serious poses, this work offers an alternative. Its depiction of a couple in a more naturalistic and less formal manner reflects a subtle shift in how personal identity could be represented through art.
Artist & collection
