Henry Mosler Self-portrait
Medium
Painting
Classification
Painting
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of the Joseph F. McCrindle collection
Accession Number
NPG.2008.86
Tags
About this artwork
Estate of Joseph F. McCrindle, descendant of artist; bequest to NPG 2008
Art Historical Context
Henry Mosler’s *Self-Portrait* (7) offers an intimate glimpse into the life of this multifaceted American artist (1841–1920). Captured at age 66, the painting depicts Mosler with his distinctive mustache and pince-nez eyeglasses, evoking personas as a painter, art instructor, and early-career reporter. Known for his genre scenes and illustrations, Mosler bridged 19th-century realism with early 20th-century portraiture, often drawing from personal experience during the Civil War era and his European training. As a self-portrait in oil on canvas, the work exemplifies the introspective tradition...