Artwork
Portrait of a Man (Possibly Peter Vogelsang Sr.)
Portrait of a Man (Possibly Peter Vogelsang Sr.) is an oil painting. It dates from 1829 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. This oil on wood painting, titled Portrait of a Man (Possibly Peter Vogelsang Sr.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:on steamboat: NEW / PHILADELPHIA; incised into paint on reverse (no longer visible, photograph in object file [1953.5.22] in NGA curatorial records): 1829
About this work
Technique & Style
Berlinsky to the Garbisch collection and ultimately the National Gallery of Art in 1953, reflects the handling typical of mid-century private collecting.
The work is executed in oil paint on a wood panel, a traditional support consistent with early nineteenth-century American portrait practice. The panel measures 49.5 cm in height by 34.3 cm in width, yielding a modest, upright format suited to a half-length sitter.
Stylistically, the painting is attributed to an anonymous American 19th-century artist and dated probably to 1829, situating it within the Federal-era portrait tradition. Its provenance from Baltimore, traced through G.A. Berlinsky to the Garbisch collection and ultimately the National Gallery of Art in 1953, reflects the handling typical of mid-century private collecting.
History & Provenance
Recorded as from Baltimore, the painting passed through the ownership of G.A. Berlinsky before being sold in 1948 to Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch; they donated it to the National Gallery of Art in 1953, where it remains today. The work is dated to circa 1829 and executed in oil on wood panel; the sources do not record any specific commission or creator details beyond its attribution to an unidentified American 19th-century artist. Measuring 49.5 cm in height and 34.3 cm in width, the portrait exemplifies the modest scale typical of early-American panel paintings.
Overview
This oil on wood painting, titled Portrait of a Man (Possibly Peter Vogelsang Sr.), presents a formal depiction of a seated male figure. The subject, potentially Peter Vogelsang Sr., is rendered with a serious demeanor, characteristic of portraiture from its era. The artwork combines a focused study of the individual with a subtle, composed atmosphere, inviting contemplation of the sitter's presence and the artistic conventions of the period.
Subject & Meaning
The portrait features a man dressed in a dark coat adorned with prominent gold buttons and a crisp white cravat, seated in a chair. His expression conveys a sense of gravity and composure. Behind him, a window opens to a detailed landscape, revealing dramatic cliffs, a small boat on water, and a sky filled with dynamic clouds.
This backdrop adds a layer of narrative and depth to the sitter's portrayal, contrasting the interior formality with an expansive natural world.
Artist & collection
