The Golden Age1875
Sir John Edward Poynter painted this in 1875, aged 39. It is now at the Art Institute of Chicago. More about this work
About this work
A work made of oil on canvas.
Description from the Art Institute of Chicago.
Sir John Edward Poynter painted this in 1875, aged 39. It is now at the Art Institute of Chicago.
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.
Sir John Edward Poynter
English, 1836–1919
Poynter studied in Rome and in Paris under Charles Gleyre, and made his name with large classical and biblical scenes such as Israel in Egypt. He was an influential administrator: the first Slade Professor at University College London, director for art at the South Kensington Museum, Director of the National Gallery from 1894 to 1904 and President of the Royal Academy from 1896. Through his wife, Agnes Macdonald, he was related by marriage to Burne-Jones and Kipling.
Written by Ochre Editions.
Rights and the museum’s record
Public domain. The Art Institute of Chicago 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
- 2002.379
- Credit
- Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago
- Type
- Painting
- Department
- Painting and Sculpture of Europe
- Licence
- CC0 1.0 Universal
- Museum record
- See it on the museum’s site
