Portrait of a Gentleman

Jean B. Sel, Portrait of a Gentleman, ca. 1822, watercolor on ivory, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Linden B. Arthur, 1978.169
Jean B. Sel, Portrait of a Gentleman, ca. 1822, watercolor on ivory, sight 2 141 34 in. (5.74.4 cm) oval, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Linden B. Arthur, 1978.169
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Artwork Details

Title
Portrait of a Gentleman
Artist
Date
ca. 1822
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
sight 2 141 34 in. (5.74.4 cm) oval
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Linden B. Arthur
Mediums
Mediums Description
watercolor on ivory
Classifications
Subjects
  • Portrait male — unidentified — bust
Object Number
1978.169

Artwork Description

In the 1820s, gentlemen wore their shirt collars so high that the neck completely disappeared. The cravat could be worn in a wide variety of ways, and here it is shown in what appears to be the “Oriental” style. The sitter’s hair is cut and combed forward in the romantic style made popular by the English poet Lord Byron.

Works by this artist (34 items)

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Date1962
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Chiura Obata, Point Lobos, Monterey, California, 1922, two panel screen, ink on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Estate of Chiura Obata, 2020.72.1
Point Lobos, Monterey, California
Date1922
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Matt Phillips, Women by the Shore, 1966, monotype with pen and ink, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase made possible by Jean Haskell, J. B. Chadwick and Irma Hunerfauth, 1992.9.1
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Date1966
monotype with pen and ink
Not on view
Gwen-Lin Goo, Semblance, 1969, screenprint on silk organza and opaque cotton, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc., 1977.118.3
Semblance
Date1969
screenprint on silk organza and opaque cotton
Not on view