Self Portrait (Theodore Robinson, 1884)

Identification of the Self Portrait

The painting titled Self Portrait is an oil on canvas created by the artist Theodore Robinson. This work was executed in 1884. The dimensions of the piece are 34 x 26 cm.

Theodore Robinson produced this work during a period of significant stylistic transition. The artist's hand is evident in the application of oil paint upon the canvas. This specific piece, Self Portrait, remains a primary example of his technical approach during the mid-1880s.

Visual Composition and Subject Matter

The oil on canvas depicts a man in a seated position, oriented toward a book held in his hands. He wears a hat that shadows the upper portion of his face. A beard and a mustache cover his chin and jawline. His gaze is directed downward, fixed upon the pages of the book, maintaining a focused expression during the act of reading.

The composition centers on the interaction between the figure and the object of his attention. The man's posture suggests a quiet, stationary moment of study. Light falls across the subject, defining the texture of the facial hair and the contours of the clothing. The work was created about 1884.

Current Location and Museum Collection

This oil on canvas is held within the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The work is cataloged under the accession number 2007.281.4. It entered the museum's holdings through a gift from Margaret and Raymond J. Horowitz in 2007.

The painting remains part of the institution's extensive holdings of American Impressionism. It is situated among other works by Theodore Robinson that are preserved in this collection. The museum maintains this specific portrait as a record of the artist's own likeness from the late nineteenth century.