Artwork
Portrait of a Young Man
Portrait of a Young Man is an oil painting. It dates from 1812 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
As a genre portrait, the primary focus is the representation of the individual subject rather than a narrative scene or complex allegory.
The work is a portrait depicting a man, created in 1812 by an anonymous painter in Iran. As a genre portrait, the primary focus is the representation of the individual subject rather than a narrative scene or complex allegory. The painting does not include documented specific iconography or symbolic elements beyond the standard conventions of portraiture, which aim to capture the likeness and presence of the sitter.
The subject remains unidentified in the available records, presenting a straightforward depiction of a young man without additional layers of meaning or symbolic attributes explicitly noted.
Technique & Style
Portrait of a Young Man is executed in oil paint on canvas, a standard support combination for early nineteenth-century portraiture. The work is classified as a painting and falls within the portrait genre, depicting a male sitter. Created in 1812 in Iran, the piece reflects the painting practices of that period and region, employing oil as the binding medium to build up the image on a woven canvas ground. The handling, condition, and finer stylistic qualities of the work are not documented in the available sources.
History & Provenance
The work titled Portrait of a Young Man is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where it is catalogued as accession 47.104 within the European paintings department.
The painting was produced in 1812 in Iran by an anonymous artist, using oil paint on canvas, a technique typical of early‑19th‑century portraiture.
Its genre is recorded as a portrait, and the material specification lists oil paint and canvas, confirming the medium employed at the time of creation.
Portrait of a Young Man is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is catalogued under inventory number 47.104. The painting, executed in oil on canvas in 1812, was made in Iran and entered the museum's collection as the work of an anonymous painter.
No exhibition history beyond its presence in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection is documented in the available sources.
Overview
This oil painting, titled Portrait of a Young Man, depicts a seated figure in a patterned robe and hat. The subject holds a glass and a book, conveying an air of thoughtful introspection. The composition places him on a red cushion against a subdued background featuring a curtain and a small table, establishing a quiet, contemplative scene.
Artist & collection
