Portrait of Alexander Webb Weir, Julian Alden Weir

Exhibition Label: "Corpus," Apr-2012, Kate Meyer Historians describe late-19th-century America as the “Gilded Age,” a term that suggests the coating of objects with a thin layer of gold, to satirize the American tendency toward ostentatious displays of finery during this period of rapid industrialization, population growth, and economic prosperity. The young man portrayed here was a nephew of the artist nicknamed “Eck.” Alexander or “Eck” Webb Weir is dressed in the fashion of the day, wearing the kind of necktie and velvety black suit that conveyed elegance and stature during the 1890s. Exhibition Label: "xy," Jun-2009, Kris Ercums The man in black portrayed here was a nephew of the artist and nicknamed “Eck.” This painting is the second in a series of three portraits that depict this same nephew, including a full-length that is now lost. Alex or “Eck” Webb Weir is dressed in the fashion of the day, wearing the kind of neck tie and velvety black suit that conveyed elegance and stature during the “Gilded Age” 1890s in the United States. The visible or broken brushwork used here indicates the artist’s use of Impressionist painting techniques. Susan Earle, Curator of European and American Art