Artwork
Portrait of a Dwarf
Portrait of a Dwarf is an oil painting. It dates from 1600 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting titled Portrait of a Dwarf, executed in oil in 1600, portrays a man with dwarfism wearing a hat, rendered as a conventional portrait on panel.
The painting titled Portrait of a Dwarf, executed in oil in 1600, portrays a man with dwarfism wearing a hat, rendered as a conventional portrait on panel. The work, attributed to the style of Corneille de Lyon, was later owned by Franz Kleinberger and Michael Dreicer and is now housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Its iconography centers on the sitter's physical condition and the hat as a distinguishing attribute, while the composition follows the portrait genre's aim to record the individual's appearance.
As such, the image functions as a visual document of an early-seventeenth-century depiction of dwarfism, reflecting contemporary artistic interest in realistic representation of marginalized figures.
Technique & Style
The work is executed in oil paint on a wooden panel, a support typical of small-format Northern European portraiture of the period. Measuring 14.6 by 12.1 centimeters, the painting adopts an intimate cabinet-picture scale suited to close viewing. The composition presents a half-length depiction of a man, with the sitter's dwarfism and a hat identified as key visual elements of the portrait.
The handling is consistent with the mannered, miniaturist precision associated with Corneille de Lyon's workshop tradition, emphasizing crisp contour and tightly focused facial characterization within a restricted format. The panel support and modest dimensions reflect the conventions of late-sixteenth- and early-seventeenth-century portable portraiture rather than larger canvas-based practice.
History & Provenance
The work now titled Portrait of a Dwarf is first documented in the early 20th century within the collection of Franz Kleinberger in Paris, before passing to Michael Dreicer in New York by 1910. By 1921 it entered the Metropolitan Museum of Art's holdings, where it remains. Stylistic analysis and panel support date the painting to circa 1600, aligning with the manner of Corneille de Lyon, though the attribution remains as 'Style of.'
The sitter's dwarfism and attire suggest it was commissioned as a courtly or private portrait rather than a public image. While the sources confirm its institutional location and physical dimensions, they do not list a specific accession or inventory number, nor any past exhibition history.
Overview
This oil painting, titled Portrait of a Dwarf, depicts a solitary male figure. The artwork is characterized by its stark visual presentation, focusing on the subject's features and a dramatic interplay of light and shadow. It serves as a study of an individual, rendered with a directness that emphasizes his presence within the frame.
Artist & collection
- Portrait of a Man
Portret de bărbat cu mănușă
Portrait of a Man with a Black-Plumed Hat
Half-length Portrait of a Young Man
Bildnis eines Mannes
Portretul lui Nicholas Throckmorton
Portrait of young man
Portrait of a Man
Philipp II of Spain
Portrait of a Bearded Man in White
Portrait of Pieter Both (....-1615)
Jacques Specx (geb. 1588). Gouverneur-generaal (1629-32)
