Artwork Details
- Title
- Portrait of a Gentleman
- Artist
- Unidentified
- Date
- ca. 1805
- Location
- Not on view
- Dimensions
- sight 2 7⁄8 x 2 1⁄4 in. (7.3 x 5.7 cm) oval
- Credit Line
- Museum purchase
- Mediums
- Mediums Description
- watercolor on paperboard
- Keywords
- Portrait male — unidentified — bust
- Object Number
- 1979.152
Artwork Description
Most portrait miniatures were painted in watercolor on ivory, but here the artist used paperboard, a less expensive material that was probably requested by the sitter. The gold frame and warm yellow background contrast with the black paperboard, emphasizing the gentleman’s profile view and his fashionable high-collared coat. His straight posture and stern gaze suggest a serious personality, while the slightly disheveled hair implies a more romantic side.