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JOHN RUBENS SMITH. Allan Melville

Allan Melville. Artist: John Rubens Smith (American, London 1775-1849 New York). Dimensions: 8 7/8 x 6 3/4 in. (22.5 x 17.1 cm). Date: 1810. In his novel "Pierre, or The Ambiguities" (1852), Herman Melville fictionalized this portrait of his father, describing the subject as the father of Pierre, the hero of the tale. The portrait so fascinated the younger Melville that an entire chapter, and much of the novel's theme, turns upon the mystery of the sitter's character, concealed by his youth, informality, and apparent candor. The portraitist Smith never exceeded his mastery here of exacting technique in the service of expression. The artist's métier in such cabinet-sized watercolor portraits stems from miniature painting and the related art of "stained drawings" developed in England in the late eighteenth century. Smith undoubtedly also derived his technique from his father, John Raphael Smith, who specialized in stipple engravings of portraits and genre scenes in his native London.
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Author:
Title:
Allan Melville
Caption:
Allan Melville. Artist: John Rubens Smith (American, London 1775-1849 New York). Dimensions: 8 7/8 x 6 3/4 in. (22.5 x 17.1 cm). Date: 1810. In his novel "Pierre, or The Ambiguities" (1852), Herman Melville fictionalized this portrait of his father, describing the subject as the father of Pierre, the hero of the tale. The portrait so fascinated the younger Melville that an entire chapter, and much of the novel's theme, turns upon the mystery of the sitter's character, concealed by his youth, informality, and apparent candor. The portraitist Smith never exceeded his mastery here of exacting technique in the service of expression. The artist's métier in such cabinet-sized watercolor portraits stems from miniature painting and the related art of "stained drawings" developed in England in the late eighteenth century. Smith undoubtedly also derived his technique from his father, John Raphael Smith, who specialized in stipple engravings of portraits and genre scenes in his native London.
Technique/material:
Watercolor, gouache, and graphite on smooth surfaced off-white wove paper
Museum:
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA
Credit:
Album / Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY
Releases:
Model: No - Property: No
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Image size:
3138 x 4094 px | 36.8 MB
Print size:
26.6 x 34.7 cm | 10.5 x 13.6 in (300 dpi)
Keywords: