Catalogue entry
816
Self-portrait
1919
Oil on canvas
29 7/8 x 25 in. (75.882 x 63.5 cm)
Signed lower left: John Folinsbee/1919
Provenance
Entered present collection in 1919 as artist's ANA diploma presentation.
Exhibitions
New Jersey State Museum, Trenton, New Jersey, The Paintings of John Folinsbee, October 30, 1982–January 9, 1983, no. 4.
The Century Association, New York, Self-Portraits by the Artist Members of the National Academy of Design and the Century Association, 1984.
Published References
Paolino, Tammy. "Rendering a World Full of Hope." Review of John Folinsbee, by Peter Cook. Time Off (Princeton Packet), May 13-22, 1994, p. 19, b/w ill.
Reed, Melissa A. "John Folinsbee: A Traditional Painter Amidst Modernist Trends." Yale University, 1994, cover ill.
Dearinger, David B. and John Davis. Paintings and Sculpture in the Collection of the National Academy of Design. New York: Hudson Hills, 2004, p. 197, b/w ill.
Notes
In 1919, Folinsbee was elected a provisional associate member of the National Academy. In order to fulfill the requirements of the Academy's constitution, each elected artist was required within a year of election to submit a self-portrait to the Academy's Council, who would then determine whether or not the work was acceptable; failure to submit a work within the specified time would void the election. It was expected that the submitted work would be representative of the artist's style, and Folinsbee's submission is painted in the tonal, impressionist style in which he worked at the time. Later in his career, after he began working in a more fluid, expressionist style, Folinsbee dismissed this portrait and regretted submitting it to the Academy as representative of his oeuvre at the time. However, the work can be appreciated for its balanced composition, harmonious use of color, and the confident and forceful brushwork that would be a hallmark of Folinsbee's style throughout his career.
Record last updated May 31, 2019. Please note that the information on this and all pages is periodically reviewed and subject to change.
Citation: Jensen, Kirsten M. ""Self-portrait, 1919 (JFF.816)." In John F. Folinsbee Catalogue Raisonné. www.johnfolinsbee.org/catalogue/entry.php?id=816 (accessed on April 19, 2024).