Artwork
Jonathan Bentham
Jonathan Bentham is an oil painting. It dates from 1725 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
The composition centers the sitter against a neutral background, emphasizing clarity of contour and quiet dignity.
The portrait of Jonathan Bentham is executed in oil on canvas, employing a restrained palette and smooth handling typical of early 18th-century American portraiture. The figure is rendered with careful attention to facial modeling and costume detail, using delicate glazes to articulate the sitter’s lace cravat and coat while maintaining an overall planar approach to form. The composition centers the sitter against a neutral background, emphasizing clarity of contour and quiet dignity.
No abrasions or significant losses are noted in the source, which classifies the work as in stable condition.
History & Provenance
The portrait was executed around 1725 as an oil on canvas work attributed to an American 18th‑century artist. Its early history is documented as originating in New York, where it remained within the family of the sitter until it passed to the artist Walter Gay, who inherited it and later took the painting to Paris; after Gay’s death the piece entered the estate of Robert Lebel in New York. In March 1948 the work was consigned to M. Knoedler and Co., sold later that year to Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch, and in 1959 was gifted to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., where it is presently held. No definitive genealogical connection between the Bentham and Gay families has been established.
The painting is in the collection of the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., having been gifted by Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch in 1959.
Prior to that, it descended through the family of the sitter to Walter Gay, passed through Robert Lebel, and was sold by M. Knoedler and Co. to the Garbischs in 1948. The provenance notes that the work was originally recorded as coming from New York.
No specific accession number or exhibition history is recorded in the sources.
Overview
The oil on canvas painting, titled Jonathan Bentham, depicts a young man in a vibrant red coat and white stockings. He stands on a checkered floor, accompanied by a dog. One hand rests on his hip, while the other holds a flower, suggesting a moment of poised presentation.
This portrait offers a glimpse into the appearance and social standing of its subject, captured with a focus on detail and individual character.
Subject & Meaning
The sitter, Jonathan Bentham, is portrayed with sartorial details that signify his elevated social standing. His elaborate red coat and carefully styled hair are markers of wealth and fashion of the period. The presence of a well-groomed dog further reinforces this impression, suggesting a life of comfort and privilege.
These elements combine to present a figure of considerable social consequence within the societal norms of the time.
Artist & collection
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