[Young Man Holding Jacket Lapel]
1840s
![[Young Man Holding Jacket Lapel] by Unknown](https://images.artheonmuseum.org/met/ph/thumb/young-man-holding-jacket-lapel-291754.webp)
Medium
Daguerreotype with applied color
Dimensions
Image: 6.7 x 5.5 cm (2 5/8 x 2 3/16 in.) Plate: 8.3 x 7 cm (3 1/4 x 2 3/4 in.) Case: 1 x 9.2 x 8.1 cm (3/8 x 3 5/8 x 3 3/16 in.)
Classification
Photographs
Department
Photographs
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Herbert Mitchell, 2008
Accession Number
2015.400.31
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the dawn of photography with this charming daguerreotype portrait of a young man holding his jacket lapel, captured in the 1840s by an unknown artist. Measuring just 6.7 x 5.5 cm, this intimate image exemplifies the petite scale of early photographs, designed to fit neatly into protective cases like the one here (9.2 x 8.1 cm). The subject's poised stance and direct gaze evoke the formal portrait traditions of the era, now rendered with unprecedented realism through the lens. Daguerreotypes, introduced in 1839, marked a revolutionary leap from painted miniatures, offering affordable...
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...