Artwork

Percy Bysche Shelley

Percy Bysche Shelley, by Edwin Beyerhaus, 1867
Percy Bysche Shelley, by Edwin Beyerhaus, 1867

Percy Bysche Shelley is a print by the Impressionist artist Edwin Beyerhaus. It dates from 1867 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

About this work

Overview

Percy Bysche Shelley is a portrait created by Edwin Beyerhaus in 1867, currently part of The Cleveland Museum of Art's collection.

Subject & Meaning

The portrait depicts a young man, presumed to be Percy Bysche Shelley, with curly hair and a white shirt, engaging the viewer with a neutral expression. The subject's identity suggests the work may honor the memory of the renowned English poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, who died in 1822.

Technique & Style

Beyerhaus employed a nuanced tonal range to achieve depth and dimension. The subject's face and hair are meticulously detailed, contrasting with a softer, less defined background. While not strictly Impressionist (given its 1867 date, preceding the movement's rise), the work's atmospheric background may anticipate later Impressionist tendencies.

History & Provenance

Created in 1867 by Edwin Beyerhaus, the portrait is now held in the collection of The Cleveland Museum of Art, with specifics of its acquisition history not detailed here.

Context

The painting reflects mid-19th-century portrait conventions while hinting at emerging artistic shifts. Its creation coincides with a period of great change in European art, on the cusp of Impressionism's development in the following decade.

Legacy

As a specific portrait rather than a broadly recognized artwork, its legacy is more closely tied to the subject's literary importance and the artist's overall body of work than to a wide artistic impact.

Artist & collection

This work is in the public domain (CC0). Image source: Cleveland Museum of Art open access. Spotted an error in this record? Tell us.