Portrait of a Young Man
Unknown Artist
c. 1865–1875
Medium
charcoal with stumping, heightened with white chalk
Dimensions
{"sheet":{"height":0.366,"width":0.279}}
Classification
Drawing
Department
Drawings
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Bequest of Muriel Butkin
Accession Number
2008.403
About this artwork
The anonymity of artist and sitter by no means lessens the appeal of this portrait. The distinct lighting from the right suggests the artificial illumination of an interior. Perhaps this portrait of a youthful, dapper man is one of the many that young artists in training typically made in the studios of their fellows. It could be, on the other hand, a self-portrait made by a young man carefully examining himself in a mirror.