Pipe Portraits: What do They Mean?

[OverMountain]

What does it mean to have a picture taken with a pipe? Why did so many of our predecessors have portraits painted or taken with a pipe in their hand or mouth.

It’s a bit of a Rorschach. What do you see?

 

[VDL_Piper]

I sure don't see ink blots that's for sure....... but maybe there is a lion staring at him in the background

 

[Brad H]

Hmmmm….. this Ink blot is telling me to go smoke……while the eyes gaze into the depths of the inner man.

 

[VDL_Piper]

He also needs to slow his cadence down as that ember is far to hot

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

It's a self portrait - so I guess it's cool to see what Van Gogh thought he looked like and I assume he did a good job!

I'm not so sure I've seen all that many portraits with pipes vs. a lot of other things that come to mind I've seen in this or that museum, but happy to see one when it comes along.

 

[xrundog]

I assume photographic portraits are included in the question.
Portraits were often formal affairs. The sitter wanted their essential self captured. Some of them smoked a lot. So a pipe or cigar is usual. In Civil War and Western portraits a gun is often added.
Cigarettes weren’t being manufactured at scale yet. Those do appear in some 20th century portraits.

 

[didimauw]

What does it mean to have a picture taken with a pipe? Why did so many of our predecessors have portraits painted or taken with a pipe in their hand or mouth.

It’s a bit of a Rorschach. What do you see?

View attachment 373532

I see a very patient man. Wonder how many times he had to fill that pipe before the painting was done?

 

[Waning Embers]

I see a very patient man. Wonder how many times he had to fill that pipe before the painting was done?

Probably did it from memory.

 

[OverMountain]

I usually see people displaying gravitas, leisure, intellect.

 

[Waning Embers]

I usually see people displaying gravitas, leisure, intellect.

Just nicotine addiction of the era. For centuries tobacco use was en vogue. The type depicted reflected the era.

 

[Sigmund]

Smoking has nearly always sold/associated itself with sophistication. Including it in portraits simply echos that.

 

[coming to_falling too]

Almost looks like he's smoking a Falcon. Haha

 

[Sobrbiker]

One would think he’d clench his pipe on the left side of his mouth, with an artist’s innate sense of balance.

Lurker status for sure with that uneven true light.

I’m guessing a Ropp cherrywood…

 

[jaingorenard]

One would think he’d clench his pipe on the left side of his mouth, with an artist’s innate sense of balance.

Lurker status for sure with that uneven true light.

I’m guessing a Ropp cherrywood…

Or he's ember chasing!

Yep, looks like a cherrywood to me.

 

[Waning Embers]

Or he's ember chasing!

Yep, looks like a cherrywood to me.

Too small for me. Looks like a 40mm chamber.

 

[judcole]

Overthinking it. He was smoking while he worked.

 

[AroEnglish]

Just nicotine addiction of the era. For centuries tobacco use was en vogue. The type depicted reflected the era.
View attachment 373832

Who painted this?

 

[Waning Embers]

Overthinking it. He was smoking while he worked.

Bingo

 

[Waning Embers]

Who painted this?

No fan of paintings myself, it popped up during a random Google search. It said Frederick William Elwell.

 

[jaingorenard]

Overthinking it. He was smoking while he worked.

For the record, I was being sarcastic!