Oil paint on canvas
Tate Collection
Works with images
General Collection
Collection
<a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/john-opie-406" aria-label="More by John Opie" data-gtm-name="header_link_artist" data-gtm-destination="page--artist">John Opie</a>
Portrait Artist
Bequeathed by Henry Vaughan 1900
adults
artist, painter
arts and entertainment
body
head / face
man
named individuals
natural phenomena
Opie, John
people
portraits
self-portraits
shadow
work and occupations
<p>In this self-portrait Opie uses the contrasts of light and dark for which he was particularly renowned to very dramatic effect.</p><p>Opie was largely self-trained. Originally from Cornwall, he moved to London at the beginning of the 1780s, where his career was managed by an art critic named John Wolcot. Opie’s robust, striking painting style seemed fresh and new, and was taken as reflecting his origins among the rural working class. The forthright drama of this painting exemplifies his reputation as ‘the Cornish wonder’.</p><p><em>Gallery label, September 2004</em></p>
painting oil paint canvas
3 November 2003 – 19 January 2004
2004-01-19
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2003-11-03
Portraits of Artists
Collection based display
22 March 2013 – 1 September 2013
2013-09-01
22 March 2013 – 1 September 2013
2013-09-01
2013-03-22
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2013-03-22
Image of the British School
Collection based display
28 June 2019 – 27 October 2019
2019-10-27
28 June 2019 – 27 October 2019
2019-10-27
2019-06-28
Fondation de l’Hermitage (Lausanne, Switzerland)
http://www.fondation-hermitage.ch
2019-06-28
Shadows, from the Renaissance to the Present Day
Loan-out
Portrait of the Artist
support: 406 × 330 mm
frame: 698 × 615 × 118 mm
Bequeathed by Henry Vaughan 1900
<div class="para9">
<span class="text16">In this self-<a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/p/portrait" title="Glossary definition for 'Portrait'"><span>portrait</span></a> Opie uses the contrasts of light      and dark for which  he was particularly renowned to  very dramatic effect.
<br/>
</span>
</div>
<div class="para10">
<span class="text16">
<br/> </span>
</div>
<div class="pbodytext">
<span class="text16">Opie was largely self-trained. Originally from      Cornwall, he moved to London  at the beginning of the 1780s, where his career      was managed by an art critic named John Wolcot. Opie’s robust,      striking <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/p/painting" title="Glossary definition for 'Painting'"><span>painting</span></a> style seemed fresh  and new, and was taken as reflecting  
his origins among the rural working  class. The forthright drama of this      painting exemplifies his reputation  as ‘the Cornish wonder’.
<br/>
</span>
</div>

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2004-09-08T00:00:00
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adults artist, painter arts and entertainment body head / face man named individuals natural phenomena Opie, John people portraits self-portraits shadow work and occupations