Portrait of a Man
Medium
Oil on copper
Dimensions
Oval, 2 x 1 1/2 in. (49 x 39 mm)
Classification
Miniatures
Department
European Paintings
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Fletcher Fund, 1942
Accession Number
42.104
Tags
Art Historical Context
Nestled among the treasures of the Metropolitan Museum of's European Paintings department, delicate *Portrait of a Man* a captivating example of French miniature artistry. Crafted by an anonymous French in oil on copper, the oval composition measures just 2 x 1 ½ inches (49 x 39 mm)—small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. Acquired through the Fletcher Fund in 1942, it exemplifies the intimate scale of portrait miniatures, for personal devotion rather than public display. Miniatures like this flourished in France from the Renaissance through the 18th century, serving as cherished keepsak...
About the Artist
French Painter
"French Painter" is a scholarly attribution designation used by art historians and museum curators to catalogue paintings produced in France — or by artists trained in the French tradition — when the specific creator cannot be identified with confidence. Rather than leave a work without provenance context or assign it speculatively to a named artist, curators apply this designation alongside an ap...