Object Record
Images
Metadata
Catalog Number |
58.P.47 |
Object Name |
Painting |
Title |
Portrait of Jean Louis Rodolphe Agassiz |
Artist |
Huntington, Daniel |
Date |
1857 |
Description |
Bust-length portrait of figure turned three-quarters to his left, in front of a hazy grey-blue background, resembling a cloudy sky. The subject has long, dark, graying hair and sideburns, hazel eyes, and a rosy complexion. He wears a dark gray coat, a white waistcoat and shirt, and a white stock, tied in a high knot. Signed and dated in the lower left corner, "Agassiz / by D. Huntington / 1857." |
Label |
This portrait of Louis Agassiz was painted ten years after his arrival in America from his native Switzerland. He had already achieved success and fame in Europe with his six-volume study of fish fossils and his theory of glacial geology, and the American scientific community welcomed him with open arms. Agassiz became the first professor of zoology and geology at Harvard University, founding the famed Museum of Comparative Zoology. Huntington's portrait shows Agassiz at the pinnacle of his success, before his criticism of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution led to the eventual decline of his reputation. |
Medium |
Oil on canvas |
Dimensions |
H-42.5 W-37.875 inches |
Dimension Details |
Framed |
Credit line |
American Philosophical Society. Gift of John F. Lewis, 2 November 1934. |
Search Terms |
19th century nineteenth century painting scientist geology zoology |