Portrait of a Man
ca. 1720–30
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
49 3/4 x 39 3/4 in. (125.2 x 99.8 cm)
Classification
Painting
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of The Chester Dale Collection, 1954
Accession Number
54.196.1
Tags
Art Historical Context
This striking *Portrait of a Man*, to around 1720–30, exemplifies the transatlantic exchange of artistic styles in the early 18th century Attributed to both the renowned English court painter Sir Godfrey Kneller his pupil John Smibert, it reflects Smibert's adaptation of Kneller's elegant Baroque portraiture after he emigrated from Britain to America in 1729. Painted in oil on canvas—a favored medium for its luminous depth and ability to capture rich textures—this large-scale work (nearly 50 by 40 inches) hangs in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's American Wing, highlighting its role in early c...