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Boy of the Crossfield Family (Possibly Richard Crossfield)

John Durand American
ca. 1766–68
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 721
John Durand completed a series of children’s portraits in New York in 1766. The identification of the young sitter rests on a long tradition in the Crossfield family. The open book in the boy’s hand and the volumes on the shelf behind him are surely meant to affirm the importance of liberal education in colonial times. The massive column rising in the background heightens the elegance of the youthful figure, and the flashing light on the drapery and the table cover draws attention to the opulence of the setting.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Boy of the Crossfield Family (Possibly Richard Crossfield)
  • Artist: John Durand (active 1765–82)
  • Date: ca. 1766–68
  • Culture: American
  • Medium: Oil on canvas
  • Dimensions: 50 1/4 x 34 1/2 in. (127.6 x 87.6 cm)
  • Credit Line: Gift of Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch, 1969
  • Object Number: 69.279.2
  • Curatorial Department: The American Wing

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