Self-Portrait

c. 1929

Joseph Stella

Associated Names
Joseph Stella

Artist, American, 1877 - 1946

The image depicts a stylized portrait featuring the side profile of a person's face and upper body. The individual is shown in a left-facing profile with a serene expression. They wear a large brown hat casting a shadow over their face, with their hair concealed. The person is dressed in a textured garment blending into the background, creating a seamless transition between figure and backdrop. The background displays an abstract mix of blue and white tones with textured, scratch-like patterns. White, flower-like shapes near the person's face add elegance and complexity to the composition.
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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    colored pencil, watercolor over wax resist, metalpoint, and graphite on prepared wove paper

  • Credit Line

    New Century Fund

  • Dimensions

    overall: 55.6 x 40 cm (21 7/8 x 15 3/4 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1997.26.1

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Sergio Stella; (Rabin and Krueger, Newark, New Jersey); Herbert A. Goldstone, New York; (ACA Gallery, New York); purchased 1997 by NGA.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1943

  • Stella, ACA Gallery, New York, 1943, no. 21.

1959

  • Portraits by Joseph Stella, Zabriski Gallery, New York, 1959, no. 19.

1963

  • Joseph Stella, Whitney Museum, New York, 1963, no. 57.

1997

  • Building a Collection, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1997-1998, no. 129.

2001

  • A Century of Drawing, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 2001-2002, no. 57.

2022

  • Joseph Stella: Visionary Nature, Norton Museum of Art, West Palm Beach, Florida, the High Museum of Art, Atlanta, Georgia, the Brandywine River Museum of Art, Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania (only shown at the Norton Museum of Art), 2022-2023, plate no. 3, repro.

Bibliography

1971

  • Baur, John I. H. Joseph Stella. New York, 1971: 51, fig. 82.

2001

  • A Century of Drawing. Exh. cat. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 2001-2002: no. 57.

2022

  • Heydt, Stephanie Mayer, Roberts, Ellen E., Wurzelbacher, Karli R., Merjian, Ara H., and Lewis, Audrey M. Joseph Stella: Visionary Nature. Exh. cat. Norton Museum of Art, West Palm Beach, Florida, High Museum of Art, Atlanta, Georgia, the Brandywine River Museum of Art, Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, 2022-2023: 69, plate no. 3.

Inscriptions

lower right in graphite: Joseph Stella

Watermarks

Strathmore

Wikidata ID

Q64591373

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