Artwork
Robert Coleman
Robert Coleman is an oil painting by the American Folk Art artist Jacob Eichholtz. It dates from 1820 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
These material choices and dimensions define the formal physical presence of the portrait currently held in the collection.
Robert Coleman is a portrait executed in 1820 by Jacob Eichholtz using oil paint. The work was originally created on canvas but has since been transferred to a wood support. Physically, the painting measures 91.7 centimeters in height and 71 centimeters in width.
Classified as a portrait, the piece depicts the subject Robert Coleman. The transfer from canvas to wood represents a specific handling and conservation history for the artwork, altering its original structural medium while retaining the oil paint layer. These material choices and dimensions define the formal physical presence of the portrait currently held in the collection.
History & Provenance
The work, an oil portrait of Robert Coleman painted by Jacob Eichholtz in 1820, entered the Coleman family through the sitter’s son, Thomas Bird Coleman, and remained in subsequent generations of his descendants. After the death of Margaret Freeman Buckingham, the painting passed to her nephew William C. Freeman, who donated it to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., in 1947. The piece has been part of the museum’s collection ever since, catalogued as a portrait in the institution’s holdings.
The portrait of Robert Coleman by Jacob Eichholtz (1820) is held by the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., accessioned as a gift in 1947 from William C. Freeman. The painting descended through the sitter’s family: from Thomas Bird Coleman, the sitter’s son, to his daughter Margaret Coleman Freeman, then to her daughter Margaret Freeman Buckingham, and finally to their nephew William C. Freeman, who donated it to the gallery. The work has remained in the National Gallery of Art’s collection since acquisition.
Overview
Jacob Eichholtz painted this oil portrait, titled Robert Coleman, around 1820. The work captures the likeness of its namesake, Robert Coleman, presenting him seated. This painting exemplifies Eichholtz's approach to portraiture during the early 19th century, focusing on individual representation and detailed rendering of the sitter.
Subject & Meaning
The portrait presents Robert Coleman seated in a chair, dressed in period attire. Eichholtz paid close attention to rendering the sitter's features, particularly emphasizing the intricate details of his face and hands. This meticulous approach aimed to convey a sense of the individual's character and presence, a common practice in formal portraiture of the era.
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