Self-Portrait - Eastman Johnson

Gift of Mrs. Arthur Meeker

"Self-Portrait" by Eastman Johnson (1863) Oil on millboard.

Commentary

"Self-Portrait" by Eastman Johnson (1863) invites a close look at how form and feeling work together. Its painted surface guides your eye through color, brushwork, and contrast rather than through narrative alone. Themes to notice include Realism, painting. This piece is held in the source collection's Arts of the Americas collection. Eastman Johnson is the artist behind this work. A useful anchor for reading the piece: Eastman Johnson (American, 1824–1906). The work is cataloged within a United States cultural context. It is associated with the Realism period. How to look at this work: It is cataloged as painting, which gives a clue to how the museum frames the object. Its medium (Oil on millboard) affects texture, durability, and how detail reads at different distances. Its listed dimensions (39.4 × 30.5 cm (15 1/2 × 12 in.)) suggest how intimate or monumental it may feel in person. Subject cues from the catalog include Realism, painting. Compare this reading with the museum record at the source collection: https://www.artic.edu/artworks/120170

Sources: Art Institute of Chicago; Art Institute of Chicago / Public Records; Art Institute of Chicago Collection Data