Portrait of a man (father Edvardas Jonas Römeris?)

Author: Römer Edward Mateusz, 1848 - 1900

Created: second half of the 19th century.

Material / technique: oil on canvas.

Dimensions: 42x35 cm.

Signature: On the other side of the canvas is the inscription Malował / Eward / Mateusz Römer, with the monogram ER diagonally across it.

In the work of Edvardas Matas Römeris, one of the most prominent representatives of the Römeris dynasty of artists, the portrait genre is considered one of the most important alongside his genre works. These are evocative anonymous images of men: "The Blacksmith," "Peasant in a Fur Hat" (both in the Lithuanian National Museum of Art), "Portrait of an Old Man" (Aušros Museum in Šiauliai), the deeply psychological "Portrait of the Poet Antanas Strazdas" (1877, M. K. Čiurlionis National Art Museum) , "Portraits of Artist Pranciškus Jurjevičius and His Relatives." The latter group includes "Portrait of Brother Izidorius" (Lithuanian National Museum) and "Artist's Father Edvardas Jonas Römeris" (Lithuanian National Art Museum). Another recently discovered portrait of a man painted by Edvardas Matas bears a striking resemblance to the artist's father, Edvardas Jonas (1806–1878). A close look at the portraits of his father of various ages painted by Alfredas and Edvardas Mato, as well as photographs taken in a photo studio, reveals a striking resemblance to the newly discovered portrait. First of all, there is the prominent forehead framed by tousled hair with a vertical wrinkle above the nose, the arch of the eyebrows, as well as the identical facial expression that distinguishes Edvardas Jonas, with the corners of his lips turned down, the rounded shape of his beard, and his bushy sideburns. The portrait, painted in warm brown and ochre shades and tones, depicts a gray-haired man of a respectable age, his gaze directed into the distance, his tightly closed lips perfectly conveying his inner state, a moment of reflection. In this respect, the portrait belongs to the category of psychological portraits. This is likely one of the last images of Edvardas Jonas. In terms of mastery, it is one of the most valuable works in the gallery of portraits from the second half of the 19th century in Lithuania. (author Dr. Jolanta Širkaitė)