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Portrait of William T. Walters
(18th and 19th Centuries )
Before moving to Paris in 1854, Bonnat trained in Madrid. The stark realism and sharp contrasts in light and shadow of Bonnat's mature style reflect the influence of the great 17th-century Spanish master Diego Velázquez. Until the late 1870s, Bonnat specialized in historical subjects and scenes inspired by a visit to the Holy Land and Egypt undertaken with J.-L. Gérôme in 1868-1869. During the early years of France's Third Republic (1870-1940), however, Bonnat gained an international following for his dramatically illuminated portraits of statesmen and leaders in many fields. Because of their shared admiration for the animal sculptures of the French artist Antoine-Louis Barye, a close association developed between Bonnat, Walters, and the Baltimore expatriate and art consultant George A. Lucas.
Inscription
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.
Commissioned by William T. Walters (through George A. Lucas as agent), Baltimore, March 30, 1883 [1]; inherited by Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1894; by bequest to Walters Art Museum, 1931.
[1] The Diary of George A. Lucas, p. 560.
Exhibitions
| 2014-2016 | From Rye to Raphael: The Walters Story. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. |
| 2010-2011 | 19th Century Masterpieces from the Walters Art Museum. Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Santa Barbara; Jack S. Blanton Museum of Art, Austin. |
| 1979 | A Baltimorean in Paris: George A. Lucas, 1860-1909. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| 11/21/1972 | Treatment | mounted; loss compensation; coated; other |
| 3/1/1973 | Treatment | mounted; loss compensation; coated |
| 4/2/1973 | Examination | examined for condition |
| 9/2/1980 | Treatment | examined for condition |
| 9/3/1980 | Treatment | coated |
| 3/9/1981 | Examination | examined for condition |
| 5/23/1981 | Examination | examined for condition |
| 4/19/1985 | Treatment | other |
| 3/13/1992 | Treatment | other |
Geographies
France (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 56 1/2 x W: 40 9/16 in. (143.5 x 103 cm) Framed: H 70 3/8 × W: 54 1/2 × D: 4 1/2 in. (178.75 × 138.43 × 11.43 cm)
Credit Line
Commissioned by William T. Walters, 1883
Location in Museum
Not on view
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
37.758