Artwork
Junius Brutus Booth
Junius Brutus Booth is an oil painting. It dates from 1830 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. The work is an oil painting executed on cardboard, portraying a solitary male figure against a uniform dark brown backdrop.
About this work
Technique & Style
Created in 1830, this portrait of Junius Brutus Booth is executed in oil paint applied to a canvas support that has been mounted onto cardboard.
Created in 1830, this portrait of Junius Brutus Booth is executed in oil paint applied to a canvas support that has been mounted onto cardboard. The work measures 50.5 cm in height and 37.5 cm in width. Classified as a portrait, the painting adheres to the stylistic conventions of American 19th-century portraiture, though specific handling techniques are not detailed in the available records.
The physical object is currently held within the Andrew W. Mellon collection at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.
History & Provenance
The work was created in 1830 as an oil on canvas mounted on cardboard, in portrait format, by an unidentified American 19th-century artist. It entered the collection of Evert Jansen Wendell and remained in his estate before being sold at Grahaeme's Auction Room in New York on 12 April 1922. It then passed to Thomas B. Clarke of New York, and after his death was sold as part of the Clarke collection on 29 January 1936 through M. Knoedler & Co. to The A. W. Mellon Educational and Charitable Trust in Pittsburgh.
In 1947 the trust gave the painting to the National Gallery of Art, where it remains in Washington, D.C., as part of the Andrew W. Mellon collection. The work measures 50.5 cm in height and 37.5 cm in width. The provided sources do not contain information regarding any specific exhibition history.
Overview
The work is an oil painting executed on cardboard, portraying a solitary male figure against a uniform dark brown backdrop. The sitter’s dark, curly hair and solemn expression are rendered with precise brushwork, while his attire consists of a dark shirt with a visible white collar. The composition is tightly focused, emphasizing the subject’s direct gaze.
Subject & Meaning
The portrait presents a contemplative individual, his steady forward look suggesting introspection or resolve. The restrained palette and muted background eliminate distractions, directing attention to the nuanced rendering of facial features and the psychological presence of the sitter.
Artist & collection
H Beard Print Collection
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James William Wallack
Portrait of Matthew Kendrick (c.1797-1874), Marine Painter
John Payne Todd
Philippe Mengin de Bionval
Horace Binney
Dr. John Davidson Godman- Junius Brutus Booth