Self-Portrait

John Steuart Curry, Self-Portrait, 1928, charcoal, conte crayon and pencil on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1985.78
Copied John Steuart Curry, Self-Portrait, 1928, charcoal, conte crayon and pencil on paper, sheet: 25 3⁄8 x 19 3⁄8 in. (64.3 x 49.1 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1985.78
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
Self-Portrait
Artist
Date
1928
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
sheet: 25 3⁄8 x 19 3⁄8 in. (64.3 x 49.1 cm)
Credit Line
Museum purchase
Mediums
Mediums Description
charcoal, conte crayon and pencil on paper
Classifications
Subjects
  • Occupation — art — painter
  • Figure male — bust
  • Occupation — art — sculptor
  • Occupation — art — printmaker
  • Portrait male — Curry, John Steuart — self-portrait
Object Number
1985.78
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/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