Portrait of a Gentleman with Initials C. B.

Unidentified, Portrait of a Gentleman with Initials C. B., ca. 1795, watercolor on ivory, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Rene Muller, 1980.95.2
Copied Unidentified, Portrait of a Gentleman with Initials C. B., ca. 1795, watercolor on ivory, sight 2 1⁄8 x 2 5⁄8 in. (5.4 x 6.7 cm) oval, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Rene Muller, 1980.95.2
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
Portrait of a Gentleman with Initials C. B.
Artist
Unidentified
Date
ca. 1795
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
sight 2 1⁄8 x 2 5⁄8 in. (5.4 x 6.7 cm) oval
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Rene Muller
Mediums
Mediums Description
watercolor on ivory
Classifications
Keywords
  • Portrait male — unidentified — bust
Object Number
1980.95.2
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1980.95.2

Artwork Description

Although this miniature gives the sitter’s initials as “CB,” the man’s identity is unknown. His clothes and posture, however, imply that he was a gentleman who knew the importance of dress at the end of the eighteenth century. The artist elongated the man’s torso and head to call attention to his collar, the blue and red striped shirt, and the ruffles of his white cravat. With his shoulders pressed back and his head held high, this man asserts that he is nothing less than a gentleman prepared for the new century.