In the Laboratory

Henry Alexander

ca. 1885–87 · Oil on canvas · The American Wing

This is one of several interior scenes in which Alexander showed people at work, surrounded by their equipment. The portrait d’apparat—an image in which a figure appears along with objects associated with his or her daily life—reflects Alexander’s training in the Munich academy of fine arts and showcases his skills both as a portraitist and as a still-life painter. His subject here is the chemist and assayer Thomas Price (1837–1912), and the setting is Price’s San Francisco laboratory. A consultant to international mining companies, Price was noted for his practical and theoretical knowledge of metals and mines.

Artist

Henry Alexander

Date

ca. 1885–87

Medium

Oil on canvas

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

The Alfred N. Punnett Endowment Fund, 1939