Artwork
Clement Bonnell
Clement Bonnell is an oil painting by the Romanticist artist William Bonnell. It dates from 1825 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The portrait shows Clement du Mont Bonnell, a forebear of the artist William Bonnell, and functions as a visual record of family continuity.
The portrait shows Clement du Mont Bonnell, a forebear of the artist William Bonnell, and functions as a visual record of family continuity. According to the National Gallery of Art provenance file, the work was painted in 1825 and later presented to the sitter's grandson by C. Carhart in 1863, subsequently passing to A.F. Bonnell before entering the collection of Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch and finally the National Gallery of Art in 1953. This transmission underscores the painting's role as an heirloom marking lineage and familial heritage within the Bonnell family.
Technique & Style
The portrait of Clement Bonnell is executed in oil on wood, a traditional support for early nineteenth-century American portraiture. The panel measures 73.7 by 60.3 centimeters, a modest, intimate format consistent with private family commissions of the period. The handling reflects the conventions of folk and provincial American portraiture of the 1820s, with the sitter rendered against a plain ground in a straightforward bust-length composition.
The work is classified as a painting and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.
History & Provenance
The work, an oil on wood panel painted by William Bonnell in 1825, portrays Clement du Mont Bonnell. It remained in New Jersey until 1863, when C. Carhart presented it to the sitter's grandson; the piece then passed to A.F. Bonnell. In 1948 the painting was sold to Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch, and in 1953 it was gifted to the National Gallery of Art, where it is presently held. The panel measures 73.7 cm in height and 60.3 cm in width.
Overview
William Bonnell's Clement Bonnell is an oil painting on a wooden panel, created around 1825. This work captures the likeness of Clement du Mont Bonnell, rendered by an American artist active in the early 19th century. The small-scale portrait offers a direct visual record of an individual from that historical period, reflecting the artistic practices of its time.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
William Bonnell (February 1, 1804 – October 12, 1865) was an American portrait painter. His works are generally placed in the folk art category, due to his lack of formal training.
