Artwork
His First Appearance in Public
His First Appearance in Public is an oil painting by the American Impressionist artist Charles Caleb Ward. It dates from 1870 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:lower right: C.C.WARD / 1870
About this work
Technique & Style
The physical dimensions and material composition define the object's formal presence within the National Gallery of Art collection.
Charles Caleb Ward's His First Appearance in Public (1870) is executed in oil paint on a wood panel support. The work measures 25.4 cm in height and 30.2 cm in width. As an oil painting on panel, the medium allows for the precise rendering characteristic of Ward's genre scenes from this period.
The physical dimensions and material composition define the object's formal presence within the National Gallery of Art collection.
History & Provenance
The painting His First Appearance in Public was created by Charles Caleb Ward in 1870 and is executed in oil on wood.
Its provenance traces to a private collection before its acquisition by the National Gallery of Art (NGA) in Washington, D.C. The work was purchased through Hirschl & Adler Galleries, Inc. in New York on 17 March 2003, at which point it entered the NGA’s holdings.
The painting is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. The museum acquired the work from a private collection on March 17, 2003, through a purchase from Hirschl & Adler Galleries, Inc. of New York. While the work dates to 1870, the provided records do not list specific public exhibitions or an inventory accession number.
Context
Charles Caleb Ward's 1870 painting His First Appearance in Public entered a public collection through acquisition by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., in March 2003. The work, executed in oil on wood panel, is part of the museum's permanent holdings as confirmed by its cataloging in the National Gallery of Art's collection.
Overview
Charles Caleb Ward’s 1870 oil painting, His First Appearance in Public, depicts a small group of children gathered in a forest clearing. A young boy, positioned on a path, holds a violin while his peers sit on a log, observing his performance. The composition is rendered in muted earth tones, emphasizing the quiet intimacy of the scene.
Subject & Meaning
The work captures a moment of informal music-making among children, suggesting themes of youthful expression and communal observation. The central figure’s focused posture and the attentive gazes of the surrounding youngsters convey a shared appreciation for the simple pleasure of a private concert in nature.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Charles Caleb Ward (1831–1896) was a nineteenth-century Canadian painter. Born in Saint John, New Brunswick, his loyalist grandfather had arrived from Poughkeepsie, New York, and had established the merchant firm of…
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Genre scene – a hurdy-gurdy player in front of a cottage