Artwork
Portrait of an Old Man
Portrait of an Old Man is a drawing by the Impressionist artist John Kavanagh. It dates from 1884 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
This charcoal drawing depicts a solemn, elderly man gazing directly at the viewer, rendered with meticulous attention to detail and a pronounced contrast of light and shadow.
Subject & Meaning
The subject, an unnamed old man, conveys a sense of gravity through his serious expression, inviting contemplation of age and experience.
Technique & Style
The work showcases the artist's proficiency in chiaroscuro, a technique emphasizing stark light-dark contrasts to achieve three-dimensional depth, characteristic of the training received at the Royal Academy in Munich.
History & Provenance
Created by John Kavanagh, a Cleveland-based artist, following his studies at the Royal Academy in Munich in the early 1880s, reflecting the academic influences of the time.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Arthur Joseph Conrad
Portrait of an Old Peasant Woman, in Profile to the Right
Mrs. Hedwig Berend
Männliches Bildnis mit Aufgestütztem Arm (Portrait of a Man Smoking)
Head of a Man with a Skullcap
Untitled
Profile of a Man with Sidewhiskers
Portrait of an Old Man
Selbstbildnis (Self-Portrait)
Head of a Peasant
Old man wearing an overcoat and cap
Male portrait