Self-Portrait

Walter Shirlaw's "Self-Portrait," an oil on canvas measuring 70.2 × 53.4 cm, was created in 1878. The work is classified as a painting and belongs to the Arts of the Americas department. It was acquired by the Art Institute of Chicago as a gift from Joseph M. Rogers. No provenance information prior to its acquisition is provided in the catalogue record.

Walter Shirlaw, an American artist (1838-1909), is documented as having other works in public collections, including "Toning the Bell" (1874) also at the Art Institute of Chicago. The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds several undated studies, such as "Studies of Bathers Disrobing" and "Studies of Sheep," along with dated pieces like "In Mischief" (1870?) and "Coral" (Study for Mural, World's Columbian Exposition, Chicago) (ca. 1892).

The "Self-Portrait" has been featured in several exhibitions, starting with the South Park Commissioner Exhibition in Chicago in February 1909. Subsequent exhibitions include "American Paintings from the Permanent Collection of the Art Institute of Chicago" at the University of Illinois in 1939, and a multi-venue exhibition titled "Munich & American Realism in the 19th Century" from April to December 1978. No specific literature citations are provided for this artwork.