Where can I see Boy in Blue Coat?

Boy in Blue Coat is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Boy in Blue Coat?

Boy in Blue Coat is associated with Baroque.

Artwork

Boy in Blue Coat

Boy in Blue Coat is an oil painting. It dates from 1730 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. The work is an oil painting on canvas that depicts a youthful figure dressed in a blue coat and green vest.

About this work

Technique & Style

The work is painted in oil on canvas, with the support measuring 121.

The work is painted in oil on canvas, with the support measuring 121.5 cm in height and 83.5 cm in width. The handling is consistent with mid-18th-century American portraiture, characterized by smooth modeling of the sitter’s features and a restrained palette dominated by the deep, saturated blue of the coat. The costume’s folds are rendered with careful attention to light and shadow, while the face is described with a subtle, lifelike modeling that avoids overt idealization.

The condition is not detailed in the available sources, though the painting entered the National Gallery of Art in 1959 as a gift from Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch, who had acquired it in New York City in 1954.

History & Provenance

Created in 1730 by an unidentified American artist of the eighteenth century, this oil on canvas portrait was recorded as originating from New York City. The work entered the collection of Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch following its purchase in 1954. Five years later, in 1959, the Garbisches donated the painting to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., where it remains part of the permanent collection.

Boy in Blue Coat is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. The work entered the museum's holdings in 1959 as a gift from Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch, who had purchased the painting in 1954. Prior to their acquisition, the artwork was recorded as originating from New York City. The provided sources do not list specific inventory numbers or detail any public exhibitions for this piece.

Context

The painting Boy in Blue Coat dates to 1730 and measures 121.5 cm by 83.5 cm. It is an oil on canvas work attributed to an American artist of the 18th century, housed in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., where it entered the collection through a 1959 gift from Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch. The work stands as an example of early American portraiture, reflecting colonial-era artistic practices, with a restrained palette and attention to fabric detail characteristic of regional workshop traditions. Its acquisition by a major cultural institution has contributed to its recognition within studies of early American painting.

Overview

The work is an oil painting on canvas that depicts a youthful figure dressed in a blue coat and green vest. He stands with one hand resting on a dog’s head and the other placed on his hip. Behind him a window frames a landscape, while his attire includes orange stockings, black shoes, and a coat fastened with numerous buttons.

Subject & Meaning

The central figure is a boy, whose posture and interaction with the brown-and‑white dog suggest a moment of casual intimacy. The inclusion of the animal and the domestic interior, hinted at by the window view, may reflect themes of childhood, companionship, and the everyday environment of the period.

Artist & collection

Museum

National Gallery of Art

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