Head of an Old Manca. 1877-1879
This painting is a study rather than a fully realized portrait. Frank Duveneck focused his attention on the face, modeling with broad brushstrokes the way a sculptor might work in clay. More about this work
About this work
This painting is a study rather than a fully realized portrait. Frank Duveneck focused his attention on the face, modeling with broad brushstrokes the way a sculptor might work in clay. The direct painting and hastily brushed background give the effect of being in the studio and watching Duveneck paint. This sketch was probably made while the artist was living in Munich in the late 1870s.
Text from the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
How it was made
- Oil paint
- Pigment ground in a drying oil, usually linseed. It dries slowly, so painters could blend on the canvas, build up thin translucent glazes, and rework a picture over weeks. Canvas replaced wooden panels in the 1500s because it is lighter and can be rolled.
Frank Duveneck
born Covington, KY 1848-died Cincinnati, OH 1919
Rights and the museum’s record
Public domain. The Smithsonian American Art Museum has dedicated this image to the public domain under CC0, so anyone may copy, adapt and use it, for any purpose, without asking. Our prints and files are reproductions made from the museum’s image; the museum doesn’t endorse them.
- Object number
- 1929.6.44
- Credit
- Courtesy of the Smithsonian American Art Museum
- Type
- Painting
- Department
- Painting and Sculpture
- Licence
- CC0 1.0 Universal
- Museum record
- See it on the museum’s site
