Joanna de Silva
1792
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
30 × 25 in. (76.2 × 63.5 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Department
European Paintings
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Bequest of Mary Jane Dastich, in memory of her husband, General Frank Dastich, by exchange and Charles B. Curtis Fund, 2020
Accession Number
2020.234
Tags
Art Historical Context
William Wood’s 1792 portrait *Joanna de Silva* is a refined oil-on-canvas depiction of a woman, measuring 30 by 25 inches. Created at the close of the eighteenth century, the painting belongs to the long European tradition of formal portraiture, in which sitters commissioned works to record their presence and status. Oil paint’s slow-drying properties allowed Wood to achieve the subtle gradations of tone and luminous skin effects that give the figure a lifelike presence. The medium itself was prized for its richness and durability, qualities that made it the favored choice for portraits inten...