Luman Reed
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
30 1/8 x 25 3/8 in. (76.5 x 64.5 cm)
Classification
Painting
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Mary Fuller Wilson, 1962
Accession Number
63.36
Tags
Art Historical Context
Asher B. Durand's *Luman Reed* (1835), an oil on canvas portrait measuring 30 1/8 x 25 3/8 inches, captures the dignified likeness of Luman Reed, a prominent New York merchant and early champion of American art. Painted at the height of Durand's portraiture phase, before he became a leading figure in the Hudson River School of landscape painting, this work exemplifies the growing confidence of American artists in the 1830s to rival European traditions. Durand, trained as an engraver, brought meticulous detail to Reed's features, attire, and contemplative expression, using the rich textures of...
About the Artist
Asher Brown Durand · 1796–1886
Was a principal member of the Hudson River School. American artist; associated with the Hudson River School of landscape painting. Comment on works: Portraits