Self-Portrait
1849
Frederick Randolph Spencer captured his own likeness in 1849 with the striking confidence of a man who knew his craft. Dressed in a sharp black coat and crisp white cravat, he stares directly at the viewer against a moody, dark background, embodying the straightforward honesty of 19th-century American realism. Spencer was a prominent portraitist of his time, painting many famous figures, but here he turns his keen eye inward to immortalize his own youthful features just as photography began to challenge the painter's trade.
Views: 8