Self-Portrait
ca. 1850
Medium
Ivory
Dimensions
Oval, 2 5/8 x 2 1/8 in. (68 x 55 mm)
Classification
Miniatures
Department
European Paintings
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mrs. John LaPorte Given, 1945
Accession Number
45.110.3
Tags
Art Historical Context
John Faed's *Self-Portrait* (ca. 1850) is a delicate oval miniature painted on ivory, measuring just 2⅝ × 2⅛ inches (68 × 55 mm). Created during the Victorian era, this gem showcases Faed's mastery of fine detail in a medium that demanded precision and subtlety. As a Scottish painter renowned for historical genre scenes and family portraits, Faed (1819–1902) brought his realist style—marked by meticulous brushwork and lifelike expression—to this intimate self depiction, capturing his thoughtful gaze amid the era's emphasis on personal identity. Miniatures like this one were cherished 19th-cen...