Portrait of Jonathan Richardson, Jr., the artist's son
Richardson was a leading British portraitist who also wrote on connoisseurship and formed an important collection of Old Master drawings. He rarely made preparatory studies for paintings but, in his fifties, began regularly to portray himself and his son in works that suggest an appreciation for drawing as an aesthetic pursuit. Once retired from painting, Richardson continued to make such works daily. This example dates to 1729, when the artist was sixty-four and his subject thirty-eight. Rendered close to life size, the sitter is dressed informally, and his somber features have been described using red, white, and black chalk, with a middle tone established by the paper. The original blue of the sheet has survived in remarkably fine condition.
Artwork Details
- Title: Portrait of Jonathan Richardson, Jr., the artist's son
- Artist: Jonathan Richardson Sr. (British, London 1667–1745 London)
- Sitter: Jonathan Richardson Jr. (British, London 1694–1771 London)
- Date: 1729
- Medium: Black, red and white chalk on blue laid paper
- Dimensions: sheet: 21 5/8 x 13 1/8 in. (55 x 33.3 cm)
- Classification: Drawings
- Credit Line: Purchase, PECO Foundation Gift, 2012
- Object Number: 2012.45
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
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