Artwork
Portrait Study of a Man
Portrait Study of a Man is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Anders Zorn. It dates from 1901 and is held in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.
About this work
Overview
Portrait Study of a Man is an oil painting created by Swedish artist Anders Zorn in 1901. The work is part of the collection at the Art Institute of Chicago.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts a solemn, mustachioed man with a bald head, dressed in a dark coat, seated with his hands in his lap. The subject's serious expression and the artist's composition draw the viewer's attention to the man's face and hands.
Technique & Style
Zorn employed impasto, a technique involving thick layers of paint, to create a nearly three-dimensional effect on the subject's hands and face. Visible brushstrokes add to the tactile quality of these elements.
History & Provenance
Created in 1901, the painting is now held in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, though specific details of its acquisition or earlier ownership are not provided here.
Context
While the subject's identity and the painting's broader contextual significance are not specified, the work reflects Zorn's practice of capturing nuanced portraits of individuals during his prolific career.
Legacy
As part of the Art Institute of Chicago's collection, the portrait contributes to the institution's holdings of European late 19th- and early 20th-century art, though its specific impact or influence on the art historical canon is not detailed here.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Anders Leonard Zorn was born in February 1860 in Mora, Dalarna, the illegitimate son of a Bavarian brewer and a Swedish farmer's daughter; his mother died shortly after his birth, and his grandparents raised him.
