Dimensions: support: 845 x 683 mm frame: 978 x 820 x 65 mm
Copyright: CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Photo: Tate
Curator: This is Daniel Stringer's "Portrait of the Artist". Stringer was born in 1754 and died in 1808. Editor: It’s immediately striking how melancholic the artist appears, almost withdrawn. Curator: Self-portraits in this period often served as advertisements for the artist’s skill, showcasing their ability to capture likeness and convey status. But this feels more introspective. Editor: Absolutely. He’s not presenting an idealized version of himself. The palette in his hand seems less a tool and more a prop, a marker of identity. Is he questioning his role, his place? Curator: Possibly. Stringer lived during a time of social and political upheaval. The rise of Romanticism also encouraged a focus on individual emotion and experience. Editor: This painting seems to capture that tension between societal expectations and the artist’s inner life. A powerful, and somewhat sad, statement. Curator: It is a unique perspective, capturing the artist in a moment of quiet contemplation. Editor: Yes, it humanizes the artist, and reminds us of the individual behind the canvas.
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http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/stringer-portrait-of-the-artist-n03137
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This self-portrait sums up the feelings of the generation of artists who witnessed the founding of the Royal Academy in 1768. The heavy curtain and Stringer’s dishevelled clothes and awkward pose create a sense of theatre. The artist appears as an isolated figure waiting for inspiration to strike and his canvas to be filled with grand and original visions. The Academy had raised the expectations of artists but, like many of his generation, this painter found his high hopes frustrated. He found little work and is said to have become an alcoholic. Gallery label, August 2004
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