Artwork

Portrait of a Youth with a Surgical Cut in one Eye

Portrait of a Youth with a Surgical Cut in one Eye is a wood painting. It dates from 1850 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The work is a lime‑wood portrait depicting a young male figure rendered in paint that has faded and cracked with age.

About this work

Technique & Style

The Portrait of a Youth with a Surgical Cut in one Eye is executed as a panel painting on a limewood support. The artist utilized wax paint as the binding medium to create the image. Classified within the genre of portraiture, the work depicts a male subject distinguished by a surgical cut located in one eye. The piece is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

History & Provenance

The panel painting known as Portrait of a Youth with a Surgical Cut in one Eye is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

The work titled Portrait of a Youth with a Surgical Cut in one Eye is a panel painting executed in wax paint on limewood, classified as a portrait. It is catalogued in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is recorded under accession number 09.181.4. The piece is attributed to an unknown artist, and its creation history is documented through its inclusion in the museum’s holdings. No specific commissioning details or dating information are provided in the source material.

The provenance chain is limited to its current ownership by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, with no further earlier ownership records cited.

The panel painting known as Portrait of a Youth with a Surgical Cut in one Eye is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The work, executed in wax paint on limewood, bears the accession number 09.181.4 within the museum's records.

No specific exhibition history is provided in the available sources for this artwork.

Context

The work is classified as a portrait painting executed in limewood, featuring a male subject marked by a surgical incision across one eye, a motif that has been discussed in relation to contemporary explorations of physical vulnerability and artistic experimentation.

Scholarship situates the piece within the broader context of early modern portraiture that employs striking visual anomalies to provoke contemplation of identity and bodily integrity, aligning it with thematic concerns found in related works housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The painting's presence in the Met's collection underscores its significance as a rare example of this particular genre, offering insight into the material practices and aesthetic choices of its time.

Overview

The work is a lime‑wood portrait depicting a young male figure rendered in paint that has faded and cracked with age. The subject presents a solemn expression, dark neatly combed hair, and a short mustache. Notably, the left eye appears altered, suggesting a surgical cut or covering. The overall condition reflects extensive wear, especially at the panel’s edges.

Subject & Meaning

The portrait captures a youth whose serious demeanor and altered eye hint at a personal narrative, possibly indicating an injury or medical procedure. The emphasis on the damaged eye may allude to themes of vulnerability, identity, or the social status of individuals who underwent early surgical interventions.