[Chinese Man Sitting with Tools]
1870s
![[Chinese Man Sitting with Tools] by Unknown](https://images.artheonmuseum.org/met/ph/thumb/chinese-man-sitting-with-tools-288541.webp)
Medium
Albumen silver print from glass negative with applied color
Dimensions
23.7 x 19.3 cm (9 5/16 x 7 5/8 in.)
Classification
Photographs
Department
Photographs
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gilman Collection, Museum Purchase, 2005
Accession Number
2005.100.505.1 (37a)
Tags
Art Historical Context
This poignant albumen silver print from the 1870s captures a man seated thoughtfully with his tools—likely hammers—evoking the quiet dignity of everyday labor. Titled *[Chinese Man Sitting with Tools*, the unknown photographer crafted a intimate portrait that humanizes its subject against a simple backdrop, highlighting the textures of his clothing and implements. Measuring 23.7 x 19.3 cm, it belongs to the Metropolitan Museum of's Gilman Collection, acquired through a 2005 museum purchase. The medium—a glass negative printed on albumen paper with hand-applied color—represents a pinnacle of 1...
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...