# Help identify this art (at the Met). **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 27, 2007, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identify-this-art-at-the-met/397676 "2007-03-27T13:23:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![neorxnawange](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f4b2a3/32.png) [@neorxnawange](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neorxnawange)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2007, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identify-this-art-at-the-met/397676/1 "2007-03-27T13:23:18Z")
I was just in NY and stopped at the Met, and was struck by a particular painting. I sat in front of it for at least 30 minutes. It had that certain something, I don’t know, it was somewhat mesmerizing. I looked at the plate but I didn’t write down the name or title since I figured it would be in my Met guide book at home. Of course I looked for it there and it wasn’t listed. It is in with the impressionists. The Artist is British, the painting is a self portrait. The scene shows the man standing in a foyer or mud room of a home, his legs are standing wide, one further back than the other. He wears an overcoat which he is pushing back with one hand; his other hand holds a stick, switch, or long flower stem which is pointing towards the floor. He wears a bowler on his head pulled low to almost cover his eyes, which are black and piercing. He looks kinda pissed. The painting has an overall greenish or yellowish hue, and is impressionist but with more clearly defined outlines than the French school. Any clues? ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2007, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identify-this-art-at-the-met/397676/2 "2007-03-27T13:54:41Z")
Is [this](http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ho/11/euwb/hob_14.59.htm) the one? ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2007, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identify-this-art-at-the-met/397676/3 "2007-03-27T13:56:44Z")
Wow, **Honey** , that is extremely impressive. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2007, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identify-this-art-at-the-met/397676/4 "2007-03-27T14:00:02Z")
[QUOTE=twickster] Wow, **Honey** , that is extremely impressive. [/QUOTE] Yes, but is it the right one? 😛 I can see why you liked it. The colors are so interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2007, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identify-this-art-at-the-met/397676/5 "2007-03-27T14:01:29Z")
[QUOTE=twickster] Wow, **Honey** , that is extremely impressive. [/QUOTE] Can’t take any credit, the Met website has a very good search engine. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![neorxnawange](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f4b2a3/32.png) [@neorxnawange](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neorxnawange)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2007, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identify-this-art-at-the-met/397676/6 "2007-03-27T15:25:44Z")
Yes! That’s it - thanks so much. I’ve got to get a good print of this one. I like the colors, and how the focus is drawn from the bottles on the bottom right up the body and finally resting on the subject’s eyes, such an impressive stare. The painting really lives. ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2007, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identify-this-art-at-the-met/397676/7 "2007-03-27T15:53:32Z")
[QUOTE=neorxnawange] Yes! That’s it - thanks so much. I’ve got to get a good print of this one. I like the colors, and how the focus is drawn from the bottles on the bottom right up the body and finally resting on the subject’s eyes, such an impressive stare. The painting really lives. [/QUOTE] A little googling turned up a number of self portraits by Sir William Orpen. It seems he had a thing for mirrors.