Portrait of a Gentleman

Alvan Clark, Portrait of a Gentleman, 1836-1844, watercolor on ivory in a sterling silver frame, image: 3 x 2 ³⁄₈ in. (7.7 x 6.1 cm) oval, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Catherine Walden Myer Fund, 1954.6.1

Free to use

Artwork Details

Title: Portrait of a Gentleman
Artist: Alvan Clark
Date: 1836-1844
Location: Not on view
Dimensions: image: 3 x 2 ³⁄₈ in. (7.7 x 6.1 cm) oval
Credit Line: Museum purchase through the Catherine Walden Myer Fund
Mediums: watercolor
Mediums Description: watercolor on ivory in a sterling silver frame
Classifications: Painting
Miniature
Subjects: Portrait male — unidentified — bust
Object Number: 1954.6.1
Linked Open Data: https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1954.6.1

Artwork Description

This unknown gentleman is wearing a wide-collared frock coat and white satin cravat. In 1837, the Gentleman’s Magazine of Fashion described a white cravat as “almost indispensable in full dress” and it was sometimes tied to cover the entire shirtfront.