Portrait of a Man

Maker Edward Luttrell (British, ca. 1650 - 1724)

Additional Title(s)

Portrait of a Man in a Velvet Cap

ClassificationsDRAWINGS

Datefirst quarter of the 18th Century

Mediumpastel on paper

Dimensions14 3/4 × 11 1/2 in. (37.5 × 29.2 cm.) frame: 20 1/4 × 17 1/4 in. (51.4 × 43.8 cm.)

SignedSigned in lower right of recto: E Luttrell fe

Credit LineThe Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens. Sir Bruce Ingram Collection

Status

Not on view

Label TextExisting somewhere between drawing and painting, pastels came into widespread use during the second half of the seventeenth century, alongside the rise in demand for portraiture. The powdery medium’s ability to diffuse light made it capable of producing convincing likenesses. Luttrell capitalizes on this property here, placing tiny dots of white in the eyes to imply light reflecting off their surface and along the tear-moistened skin of the lower lids and corners. The informality of the sitter’s dress—his cap and morning
gown were garments typically worn at home—indicates that this could be a self-portrait. The scrutiny paid to aging features, such as the lined cheeks and creased brow, suggests likewise (2022).

Object number63.52.148

Terms