Portrait of the Artist

John Vanderlyn

1800 · Oil on canvas · The American Wing

Vanderlyn, a New York native, executed this masterful self-portrait in Paris, where he had lived for four years; he was the first American-born painter to study in France. The work demonstrates the influence of Vanderlyn’s teacher, François-André Vincent, as well as that of the Neoclassical master Jacques-Louis David, who lauded the canvas at the Salon of 1800. The artist presented the portrait to his friend and patron, the American politician Aaron Burr. Vanderlyn’s fascination with France would later result in the spectacular "Panoramic View of the Palace and Gardens of Versailles" (1818–19; 52.184), also on view in the American Wing (gallery 735).

Artist

John Vanderlyn

Date

1800

Medium

Oil on canvas

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Bequest of Ann S. Stephens, in memory of her mother, Mrs. Ann S. Stephens, 1918