TitleOlin L. Warner
Artist
Julian Alden Weir
(American, 1852 - 1919)
Daten.d.
MediumOil on canvas
DimensionsUnframed: 21 1/8 × 17 1/8 × 1 1/4 in.
SubmissionANA diploma presentation, January 14, 1889
Credit LineNational Academy of Design, New York, NY
Object number1392-P
Label TextWeir's diploma portrait of Warner was not his first likeness of the artist; an earlier portrait (1879, American Academy of Arts and Letters) had been exhibited in Paris and New York to enthusiastic reviews. Warner had reciprocated in 1880 by executing a bronze bust of Weir. Like several of Weir's early friends, Warner had had a neighboring studio in Washington Square's Benedict Building. The location of the portrait appears to be such a studio, with a portion of a relief visible at left. Weir's unusual treatment of Warner's head and hand, however, draws attention from the sculpture to the sculptor. The soft, striated brushwork seems to coat the face like a veil. A feeling of movement is conveyed, as though the artist has suddenly turned his head to the viewer. The eyes, however, are fixedly locked, exhibiting no sign of motion. His hand, daringly pushed forward and speedily described by loose strokes, appears little more than a limp glove.
