Artwork
Portrait of J.H. Brocas, Artist
Portrait of J.H. Brocas, Artist is an oil painting by the British Romanticist artist Robert Lucius West. It dates from 1814 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Ireland.
About this work
This painting depicts a man with short brown hair and a white cravat, set against a dark brown background.
This painting depicts a man with short brown hair and a white cravat, set against a dark brown background. He is dressed in a black jacket, and his gaze is directed to the right side of the image.
The subject's attire and hairstyle suggest a formal portrait from the early 19th century. The artist's use of oil paint creates a sense of depth and texture in the image.
To learn more about the artist's style and technique, explore the works of Robert Lucius West.
Overview
Robert Lucius West’s 1814 oil portrait, titled Portrait of J.H. Brocas, Artist, is part of the National Gallery of Ireland’s collection. The work presents a seated gentleman in a dark interior, his features rendered with the subtle modeling characteristic of early‑nineteenth‑century portraiture.
Subject & Meaning
The sitter, identified as J.H. Brocas, is shown with short brown hair, a white cravat and a black jacket, his gaze turned toward the right. The formal attire and composed expression convey the status of a professional artist of the period, emphasizing dignity and intellectual focus.
Technique & Style
West employs oil pigments to achieve a layered surface, allowing nuanced gradations of light across the figure’s face and clothing. The dark brown background recedes, enhancing the three‑dimensionality of the portrait, while the texture of the fabric and hair is suggested through careful brushwork.
History & Provenance
Created in 1814, the painting entered the National Gallery of Ireland’s holdings, where it remains on display. Its acquisition reflects the institution’s commitment to representing Irish artistic practice and the network of portrait commissions that linked artists like West with their contemporaries.
Artist & collection
Artist
Robert Lucius West painted formal oil portraits in late 1700s Dublin. His brush captured the faces of local leaders and thinkers, like the writer Laurence Sterne and the Lord Chancellor James Hewitt. These sitters posed…
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