Self-Portrait

John Steuart Curry, Self-Portrait, 1928, charcoal, conte crayon and pencil on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1985.78
John Steuart Curry, Self-Portrait, 1928, charcoal, conte crayon and pencil on paper, sheet: 25 3819 38 in. (64.349.1 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1985.78
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
Self-Portrait
Date
1928
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
sheet: 25 3819 38 in. (64.349.1 cm)
Credit Line
Museum purchase
Mediums Description
charcoal, conte crayon and pencil on paper
Classifications
Subjects
  • Portrait male — Curry, John Steuart — self-portrait
  • Occupation — art — printmaker
  • Occupation — art — sculptor
  • Figure male — bust
  • Occupation — art — painter
Object Number
1985.78

Artwork Description

The intense stare and looming presence of this self-portrait reveal Curry’s confidence at a turning point in his career. In 1927 he had returned to the United States after studying drawing in Paris, and a year later his paintings had attained national acclaim. Here Curry’s draftsmanship corresponds with his artistic success. The bold lines and powerful swaths of shadow drawn with the broad side of the charcoal reveal the artist’s increasing self-assurance.

Graphic Masters II: Highlights from the Smithsonian American Art Museum, 2009

Works by this artist (17 items)

John Steuart Curry, Ajax, 1936-37, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Peter and Paula Lunder, 2001.95
Ajax
Date1936-37
oil on canvas
On view
John Steuart Curry, Our Good Earth, 1942, lithograph on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Frank McClure, 1979.98.65
Our Good Earth
Date1942
lithograph on paper
Not on view
John Steuart Curry, Circus Elephants, 1936, lithograph on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Frank McClure, 1979.98.64
Circus Elephants
Date1936
lithograph on paper
Not on view