Portrait of a Gentleman

George W. Newcombe, Portrait of a Gentleman, 1838, watercolor on ivory, sight 2 ¹⁄₈ x 1 ⁵⁄₈ in. (5.4 x 4.0 cm) oval, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Catherine Walden Myer Fund, 1957.3.1

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Artwork Details

Title: Portrait of a Gentleman
Artist: George W. Newcombe
Date: 1838
Location: Not on view
Dimensions: sight 2 ¹⁄₈ x 1 ⁵⁄₈ in. (5.4 x 4.0 cm) oval
Credit Line: Museum purchase through the Catherine Walden Myer Fund
Mediums: watercolor
Mediums Description: watercolor on ivory
Classifications: Painting
Miniature
Subjects: Portrait male — unidentified — bust
Object Number: 1957.3.1
Linked Open Data: https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1957.3.1

Artwork Description

According to an inscription on the back of this miniature, this work was painted while George Newcombe was living on Broadway, in New York City. The gentleman wears a fashionably high-collared coat and black cravat that contrast with his hair and skin coloring. The tilt of his body heightens the man’s lively gaze and quiet smile.