The Artist's Studio
1740s-1750s
Medium
oil on copper
Dimensions
unframed: 41.9 × 60 cm · framed: 55.6 × 73.3 cm
Classification
Painting
Department
European Painting and Sculpture
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Mr. and Mrs. William H. Marlatt Fund by exchange
Accession Number
2012.41
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
About this artwork
Johann Georg Platzer specialized in small, highly detailed paintings scaled for a connoisseur’s cabinet. At the center of this composition is an idealized portrait of the artist himself, clad in a fur-lined robe and holding a painting for the inspection of a visiting connoisseur. This work makes a statement about painting as a noble and intellectual pursuit, and the importance of rigorous training and practice: the artist at the easel is surrounded by a studio teeming with live models, pupils, a...