Artwork Page for Portrait of an Old Man

Details / Information for Portrait of an Old Man

Portrait of an Old Man

c. 1884

John Kavanagh

(American, 1857–1898)
Culture
America
Medium
charcoal; framing line in graphite (lower margin)
Support
Yellow-brown wove paper
Measurements
Sheet: 49 x 38.7 cm (19 5/16 x 15 1/4 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. A. J. Weatherhead 1944.8
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
Location
Not on view
Print

Description

This charcoal study by Cleveland-based artist John Kavanagh shows the dramatic use of contrasting light and shade (chiaroscuro) and the detailed modeling favored by students at the Royal Academy in Munich, where the artist studied in the early 1880s.
A vertically oriented charcoal and graphite drawing on tan paper depicts an older man from the chest up, facing our left. His chin is tilted upward, highlighting a prominent nose and deep facial creases. Dark shading defines his furrowed brow and thin hair, contrasting with a lighter shirt. He wears a dark, roughly sketched jacket. Muted, smudged background textures softly frame the man's weathered profile and upward gaze.

Portrait of an Old Man

c. 1884

John Kavanagh

(American, 1857–1898)
America

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