Adopt an Artwork

Portrait of a Gentleman (presumed Self-Portrait)

This handsome young man is supposedly the artist himself at the age of 25 or 30. In 1956, before Mrs. Hitt acquired it, it elicited the following remark in Burlington Magazine: “The picture describes a graceful way of life in dazzling jerks of the brush.”

The picture dazzles a little less than it could or should due to a discolored varnish and grime that accumulated over time on the surface of a painting. The required treatment is really only cosmetic (no pun intended) and will bring Perronneau back to his own best self!

Piece Highlights

  • Artist: Jean-Baptiste Perroneau
  • Medium: Oil on canvas

Adopt This Piece

$5,865

It’s easy to adopt an artwork! Here is a Step-by-Step:

  1. Once you have chosen which artwork you would like to adopt, reach out to our Curator of European Art, Robert Schindler ([email protected]; 205.297.8064), and let him know. You can also jointly adopt an artwork with friends or family (even a company can adopt an artwork)!
  2. We will then send you information on the work you have selected, including its conservation needs and a treatment proposal. You will also be invited to the tour before the work is conserved.
  3. When the conservation is completed, you will be invited for a viewing “after treatment” and you will be sent an invoice along with the treatment report.
  4. Finally, choose whether you want to be credited on the gallery label or not. At the end, you send your payment for the treatment to Robert and we will forward to you a formal acknowledgment of your tax-deductible contribution.
  5. Done!

If you have questions or would like to adopt an artwork, please call or email Robert [email protected] // 205.297.8064.