Portrait of a gentleman

1720–35

Not on view

Born in Sweden, Dahl first visited England in 1682 to assess patronage opportunities created by the death of Sir Peter Lely. After several years of travel in France and Italy he settled in London in 1689, developing a portrait style influenced by Sir Godfrey Kneller, in whose studio he had worked. He became Kneller's chief rival and gained the patronage of Prince George of Denmark, the husband of Queen Anne and a fellow Scandinavian. Until 1973 no drawings were firmly attributed to Dahl but an article in "Master Drawings" by J. Douglas Stewart established a core group, all works previously attributed to Kneller. This drawing joined the corpus in 2018. When compared to Kneller, Dahl's draftsmanship is more restrained and carefully executed–a difference that echoes the two men's personalities. With regard to details, Dahl generally shaded the edges of mouths, added strong highlights to noses and paid attention to the structure of nostrils, all elements found in the present work.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

References

Title: Portrait of a gentleman
Artist: Michael Dahl (Swedish, Stockholm 1659–1743 London)
Date: 1720–35
Medium: Black and white chalk on greenish-gray laid paper, formerly blue
Dimensions: Sheet: 14 in. × 10 1/4 in. (35.6 × 26 cm)
Classification: Drawings
Credit Line: Gift of Roberta J.M. Olson and Alexander B.V. Johnson, 2021
Object Number: 2021.375.1
Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

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Multiple artists/makers

1700–25

Portrait of a Woman, Michael Dahl Swedish, Oil on canvas — Portrait of a Woman
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Portrait of Nicolas Trigault in Chinese Costume, Peter Paul Rubens Flemish, Black, red, and white chalk, blue pastel, and pen and brown and black ink on light brown laid paper — Portrait of Nicolas Trigault in Chinese Costume
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Design for a Wall Panel or Ceiling with The Virgin and Saints Interceding before Christ for the Souls of the Lost, Johann Baptist Enderle German, Pen and black ink, watercolor and gouache on laid paper — Design for a Wall Panel or Ceiling with The Virgin and Saints Interceding before Christ for the Souls of the Lost
Johann Baptist Enderle
1771 or before

Study of a Seated Woman Seen from Behind (Marie-Gabrielle Capet), Adélaïde Labille-Guiard French, Red, black, and white chalk on toned laid paper — Study of a Seated Woman Seen from Behind (Marie-Gabrielle Capet)
Adélaïde Labille-Guiard
Marie Gabrielle Capet
1789

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