Artwork
Gouverneur Kemble
Gouverneur Kemble is an oil painting by the Hudson River School artist Asher Brown Durand. It dates from 1853 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:lower right: A.B.D. 1853
About this work
Technique & Style
Gouverneur Kemble is an oil on canvas portrait executed in 1853 by Asher Brown Durand.
Gouverneur Kemble is an oil on canvas portrait executed in 1853 by Asher Brown Durand. The work measures 86.3 cm in height by 68.6 cm in width, a vertical format suited to its half-length portrait composition. Classified as a painting within the portrait genre, the canvas support and oil medium are consistent with Durand's standard studio practice of the period, allowing for the layered handling and refined finish associated with his portrait work.
The painting is held in the Andrew W. Mellon collection at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., where it has been preserved since its 1947 gift.
History & Provenance
The portrait of Gouverneur Kemble was painted by Asher Brown Durand in 1853. Its early ownership history is partially obscured; while the painting was later recorded as having been purchased from the estate of Abraham Van Buren, this specific provenance link remains unverified as the artist's will contains no mention of the work. The documented chain of custody begins with Rose M. de Forest of New York, from whom Thomas B. Clarke acquired the painting on May 9, 1922.
Upon Clarke's death, the work was sold through M. Knoedler & Co. on January 29, 1936, to The A. W. Mellon Educational and Charitable Trust in Pittsburgh. It subsequently entered the national collection as a gift from the trust to the National Gallery of Art in 1947.
The portrait Gouverneur Kemble is held by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., within the Andrew W. Mellon collection. The work entered the museum's holdings in 1947 as a gift from The A. W. Mellon Educational and Charitable Trust, having been acquired by the trust in January 1936 from the estate of Thomas B. Clarke through M. Knoedler & Co. Prior to the Clarke acquisition in May 1922, the painting was owned by Rose M. de Forest of New York, who reportedly purchased it from the estate of Abraham Van Buren, though this earlier provenance remains unverified.
While the source material details this extensive ownership history, it does not provide a specific inventory or accession number for the piece, nor does it list any exhibition history for the work.
Overview
Painted in 1853, Asher Brown Durand's Gouverneur Kemble is a formal portrait of the prominent American industrialist and politician. The work depicts Kemble seated in a three-quarter view, dressed in a dark coat, light waistcoat, and a neatly tied white cravat. His gray, wavy hair and serious expression convey a sense of dignity and resolve.
Kemble rests one hand on the arm of a red upholstered chair, a detail that adds a touch of color to an otherwise somber palette dominated by deep browns and blacks. The background is a plain, dark void, a compositional choice that eliminates distraction and focuses the viewer's attention entirely on the sitter's face and posture. Executed in oil on canvas, the painting features smooth brushwork and soft shading characteristic of Durand's portraiture, which stands in contrast to his more celebrated landscape works.
While Durand is best known as a leading figure of the Hudson River School, this piece demonstrates his proficiency in capturing the likeness and character of the American elite during the mid-19th century. The portrait serves as a significant document of Kemble's public image and highlights the artist's versatility across genres within the American Romantic movement.
Subject & Meaning
The portrait presents Gouverneur Kemble seated, his form occupying the central space against a subdued, dark background. He wears a dark coat over a light vest, accented by a neatly tied white cravat, and his gray, slightly wavy hair frames a serious yet calm expression. His hand rests gently on a red armchair, suggesting a moment of quiet contemplation or firm resolve. The composition directs full attention to the sitter's character.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Asher Brown Durand spent his life in the rolling hills of New Jersey, where the forests and farmland shaped his quiet, deliberate way of seeing.
