CC0 · no rights reserved
Portrait of a Gentleman
From the collection of Smithsonian American Art Museum. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
In this miniature the sitter’s blue eyes and gentle facial features emphasize a calm composure and intelligence. His combed-over hairstyle reveals his forehead, suggesting his desire to be perceived as honest and intelligent. According to “phrenologists,” who examined the shapes of skulls, specific characteristics of a person’s nature were communicated through the features of the head.
Smithsonian American Art Museum’s own descriptionSubjects
Credit linePortrait of a Gentleman. ca. 1845. Unidentified. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Catherine Walden Myer Fund. CC0.
