Artwork
Portrait of a Man
Portrait of a Man is an unspecified painting. It dates from 1796 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The work depicts a man, identified as the main subject of this 1790 portrait by an anonymous German painter.
The work depicts a man, identified as the main subject of this 1790 portrait by an anonymous German painter. While the primary focus is the male figure, metadata records also associate the piece with imagery of a woman, a girl, and a bracelet, suggesting a complex or potentially composite iconographic program. The painting functions as a straightforward portrait genre piece, representing the sitter without explicit additional symbolic elements detailed in the available records.
The presence of the bracelet and female figures in the descriptive data may indicate specific attributes or secondary figures within the composition, though the central representation remains the man himself.
History & Provenance
The work titled Portrait of a Man was created in 1790 by an anonymous German painter, as recorded in its catalogue entry and confirmed by the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s metadata. Executed as an oil on canvas, it belongs to the portrait genre and portrays a middle‑aged man wearing a bracelet, alongside a woman and child in related iconography. The painting’s inception date is given as 1790‑00‑00, and it is classified as a painting within its collection.
Since its acquisition, the work has remained in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, forming part of its permanent holdings.
The Portrait of a Man, dated to 1790, is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The museum assigns this work the accession number 26.168.67. Created by an anonymous German painter, the piece is classified as a portrait depicting a man.
While the primary subject is identified as a male figure, some catalog descriptions also note the depiction of a woman, a girl, and a bracelet within the work. The painting remains part of the museum's permanent holdings.
Overview
This painting, formally titled Portrait of a Man, visually presents a woman in a half-length composition, depicted from the chest up and facing directly forward. Her expression is neutral, conveying a sense of quiet contemplation. The artist rendered the figure with a focus on realism, employing subtle shading to create depth and volume.
A light background provides a visual contrast to her darker clothing, drawing attention to the detailed rendering of her face and attire.
Technique & Style
The artist utilized a realistic painting style, focusing on meticulous detail and textural representation. Subtle shading techniques are evident in the rendering of the woman's face, contributing to a sense of depth and three-dimensionality. Her hair is depicted with loose curls, adding to the tactile quality of the surface.
The deliberate contrast between the light background and the darker tones of her jacket further accentuates the figure, bringing her forward in the composition.
Artist & collection
- Portrait of a Man
Portrait of a Woman
Portrait of a Man
Portrait of the Father of Emilius Nicolai Scherr
Portrait of a Child
Clemens Franz de Paula, Sohn des Prinzen Ferdinand Maria Innocenz
Portrait of a Man
Portrait of Louis XVIII, when comte de Provence ?
Materialforvalter Bartholin (?)
Portrait of Louis XVIII, when comte de Provence ?
Materialforvalter Bartholin (?)
Fedor Antonovich Kuznetsov
