Self Portrait
c. 1890
19th Century
23 3/4 in. x 17 3/4 in. (603.25 mm. x 450.85 mm.)
Willard Leroy Metcalf,
American,
(July 1, 1858–March 9, 1925)
Medium and Support:
oil on canvas
Credit Line:
Florence Griswold Museum; Gift of Mrs. Henriette Metcalf
Accession Number:
1979.7.2
Like other American artists, Metcalf studied in Europe, attending Academie Julian and taking sketching tours to Brittany and Giverny as well as to North Africa. After his return to the United States, he became one of the founders of "The Ten," a loose-knit group of American painters which included his close friend Childe Hassam. Hassam provided a likely reason for Metcalf
to visit Old Lyme. Metcalf's self portrait shows a 3/4 view of his head and chest. The background is dark with strong shadows obscuring half of his face.