Artwork
Portrait Study of a Youth
Portrait Study of a Youth is an oil painting by the French Romanticist artist Théodore Géricault. It dates from 1819 and is held in the collection of the Kimbell Art Museum.
About this work
Overview
Portrait Study of a Youth is an 1819 oil painting by French Romantic painter Théodore Géricault, characterized by dramatic lighting and emotional depth.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts a young man with long, dark hair and solemn expression, dressed in a white shirt and dark jacket, engaging the viewer with a direct gaze.
Technique & Style
Géricault employed visible brushstrokes and chiaroscuro, emphasizing strong light-dark contrasts to create a sense of texture, depth, and dramatic intensity typical of French Romanticism.
History & Provenance
Created in 1819, the work is now part of the Kimbell Art Museum's collection, notable as a work by Géricault, who significantly influenced the Romantic movement despite his career being cut short at age 32.
Artist & collection
Artist
Jean-Louis André Théodore Géricault (French: ; 26 September 1791 – 26 January 1824) was a French painter and lithographer.
Alexander Douglas-Hamilton, later 10th Duke of Hamilton and 7th Duke of Brandon (1767 - 1852)
Caroline Mortier de Trévise
Head of a Woman
Portrait of Maria Michałowska
Portrait of a Boy
Head study of a woman looking up
Head of a Young Man
Boy
Red Haired Girl
Head of a Young Boy
Portrait of a girl
A Boy with a Lesson-book