Artwork
Biel Le Doyt
Biel Le Doyt is an oil painting by the American Folk Art artist Erastus Salisbury Field. It dates from 1827 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:on reverse (no longer visible, photo in object file [1971.83.3] in NGA curatorial records): Biel Le Doyt. / Aged 24 years / Painted by / Erastus S. Field / Worcester, Mass. / 1827.
About this work
Technique & Style
The portrait is executed in oil on canvas, measuring 76.4 cm in height and 58.5 cm in width.
Handling is consistent with early nineteenth-century American folk portraiture, with smooth, blended modeling of the face contrasted by more schematic treatment of costume and accessories. The sitter's pose is frontal, with a slight turn of the head to the viewer's right, and the background is rendered in muted tones to concentrate attention on the figure.
Condition appears stable based on institutional records; the painting has been in the National Gallery of Art's holdings since 1971, when it was gifted by Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch.
History & Provenance
The portrait Biel Le Doyt was painted by Erastus Salisbury Field in 1827, executed in oil on canvas.
The portrait Biel Le Doyt was painted by Erastus Salisbury Field in 1827, executed in oil on canvas. Its earliest known provenance traces the work to Massachusetts before it entered the New York gallery of Victor Spark, who sold it in 1948 to collectors Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch. The Garbisches donated the painting to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., in 1971, where it remains today. No documentary evidence of a specific commission for the work has been recorded.
Overview
Erastus Salisbury Field completed the oil on canvas portrait titled Biel Le Doyt in 1827. This painting captures a young man in a seated pose, reflecting the artistic conventions of its period. As a work by Field, it contributes to the understanding of American portraiture during the early 19th century.
Subject & Meaning
The portrait depicts a young man seated, presenting a composed and somewhat formal demeanor. He is dressed in a dark blue jacket, a white turtleneck, and a light-colored vest adorned with diagonal stripes, indicating contemporary fashion. His right arm rests casually on his thigh, with his hand appearing relaxed, contributing to the overall impression of quiet contemplation.
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