Self-Portrait1920
In 1919, an art commentator described Abbott Handerson Thayer as "a man of slight build and of a nervous temperament, with a glance so intense and clear and penetrating; with a mind so keen and… More about this work
About this work
In 1919, an art commentator described Abbott Handerson Thayer as "a man of slight build and of a nervous temperament, with a glance so intense and clear and penetrating; with a mind so keen and logical and which acts with such precision that the impression received of the man's personality is enduring."
Text from the Cleveland Museum of Art.
How it was made
- Oil on panel
- Oil paint on prepared wooden boards, usually oak in the north and poplar in Italy. The rigid, smooth surface suits fine detail and thin, glowing glazes.
- 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.
Abbott Handerson Thayer
American, 1849–1921
Rights and the museum’s record
Public domain. The Cleveland Museum of Art 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
- 1970.17
- Credit
- Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art
- Type
- Painting
- Department
- American Painting and Sculpture
- Licence
- CC0 1.0 Universal
- Museum record
- See it on the museum’s site
