In the Laboratory
This is one of several interior scenes in which Alexander showed people at work, surrounded by their equipment. The portrait d’apparat—an image in which a figure appears along with objects associated with his or her daily life—reflects Alexander’s training in the Munich academy of fine arts and showcases his skills both as a portraitist and as a still-life painter. His subject here is the chemist and assayer Thomas Price (1837–1912), and the setting is Price’s San Francisco laboratory. A consultant to international mining companies, Price was noted for his practical and theoretical knowledge of metals and mines.
Artwork Details
- Title: In the Laboratory
- Artist: Henry Alexander (1860–1894)
- Date: ca. 1885–87
- Culture: American
- Medium: Oil on canvas
- Dimensions: 36 x 30 in. (91.4 x 76.2 cm)
- Credit Line: The Alfred N. Punnett Endowment Fund, 1939
- Object Number: 39.46
- Curatorial Department: The American Wing
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