Self-Portrait (Opie)
| Self-Portrait | |
|---|---|
| Artist | John Opie |
| Year | 1785 |
| Type | Oil on canvas, portrait |
| Dimensions | 74.3 cm × 62.2 cm (29.3 in × 24.5 in) |
| Location | National Portrait Gallery, London |
Self-Portrait is a 1785 portrait painting by the British artist John Opie. [1] [2] A self-portrait, it depicts the artist at the age of around 24 when he had established himself as a major figure. Opie had exploded onto the London scene in 1781 and enjoyed a spectator success at the Royal Academy Exhibition of 1782. He became known as the "Cornish Wonder", because he was supposedly self-taught. His work drew heavily on the tradition of realism and used striking chiaroscuro contrasts. [3] Others have noticed the influence that the established painter Richard Wilson had in coaching and managing his early style.[4] Opie is shown with a paintbrush and palette.
The painting is now in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery in London, having been purchased in 1958. [5]
References
- ^ Holmes p.18
- ^ Crane p.14
- ^ https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/john-opie-157386
- ^ McIntyre p.398
- ^ https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portraitExtended/mw04751/John-Opie
Bibliography
- Crane, David. Romantics & Revolutionaries: Regency Portraits from the National Portrait Gallery London. National Portrait Gallery, 2002.
- Holmes, Richard. The Romantic Poets and Their Circle. National Portrait Gallery, 2005.
- McIntyre, Ian. Joshua Reynolds: The Life and Times of the First President of the Royal Academy. Allen Lane, 2003.
- Walker, Richard John Boileau. Regency Portraits, Volume 1. National Portrait Gallery, 1985.