Arkivism
Portrait of a Gentleman
CC0 · no rights reserved

Portrait of a Gentleman

Unidentified · ca. 1790 · watercolor on ivory

From the collection of Smithsonian American Art Museum. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.

About this work

In this miniature the unknown artist concentrated on this sitter’s facial features, whereas the coat and cravat appear with less detail. During the reign of George III in England, powdered wigs and natural hair were worn in “pigtail queues” and men’s coats had a shawl-like cut at the collar. In the sitter’s portrait, remnants of hair powder appear on his collar and the bow in his hair, indicating that he followed the English fashion.

Smithsonian American Art Museum’s own description
Subjects
Paintings
Credit linePortrait of a Gentleman. ca. 1790. Unidentified. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase. CC0.

Similar works