ticketsMember | Make a donation

Self-Portrait

ca. 1941
Not on view
Brown gained international acclaim as an accomplished watercolorist, and here he uses the medium to present his own image through flattened forms and matte surfaces. Enclosed by the deep blue tonalities of an indistinct interior, he conveys a pensive mood as he gazes into a mirror, setting up an echo chamber of dualities. We see the artist, implausibly, in both profile and three-quarter views; he contemplates himself in the mirror, while his reflection stares at us. After completing a master’s degree in Fine Arts at the University of Pennsylvania, Brown became the first African American hired by the U.S. government’s inaugural work-relief program for the arts, and he later worked for the Works Progress Administration in Philadelphia.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Self-Portrait
  • Artist: Samuel Joseph Brown, Jr. (American, Wilmington, North Carolina 1907–1994 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
  • Date: ca. 1941
  • Medium: Watercolor over graphite on paper
  • Dimensions: 20 1/4 × 15 1/4 in. (51.5 × 38.8 cm)
  • Classification: Drawings
  • Credit Line: Gift of Pennsylvania W. P. A., 1943
  • Object Number: 43.46.4
  • Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Wash Girl, Samuel Joseph Brown, Jr. American, Linocut
Wash Girl
Samuel Joseph Brown, Jr.
WPA
1935–43
Fireplug, Samuel Joseph Brown, Jr. American, Linocut
Fireplug
Samuel Joseph Brown, Jr.
WPA
ca. 1940
League Park, Samuel Joseph Brown, Jr. American, Screenprint
League Park
Samuel Joseph Brown, Jr.
1938
Wash Girl, Samuel Joseph Brown, Jr. American, Linocut on Asian paper
Wash Girl
Samuel Joseph Brown, Jr.
ca. 1935–43
Girl in Blue Dress, Samuel Joseph Brown, Jr. American, Watercolor on paper
Girl in Blue Dress
Samuel Joseph Brown, Jr.
1936

Related Content

Perspectives

Articles, audio, and video from The Met's online magazine.

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.