Artwork
Man with Vial
Man with Vial 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.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Man with Vial depicts a solitary male figure holding a small glass container, suggesting contemplation or a scientific inquiry.
Man with Vial depicts a solitary male figure holding a small glass container, suggesting contemplation or a scientific inquiry. The portrait conveys themes of introspection and the pursuit of knowledge, reflecting early 19th-century interest in both portraiture and emerging scientific interests. The work is part of the National Gallery of Art's collection in Washington, D.C., donated by Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch in 1955.
Technique & Style
Man with Vial is an oil painting executed on canvas, a medium typical of Erastus Salisbury Field's portrait practice. The work takes the form of a portrait genre composition, presented in a vertical orientation with a canvas measuring 75 cm in height by 59.5 cm in width. The relatively modest scale and upright format suit the sitter's half-length presentation, allowing the titular vial to be held prominently within the picture space. No further details regarding handling, condition, or stylistic manner have been documented in the available records.
History & Provenance
The portrait Man with Vial was painted in 1827 by Erastus Salisbury Field.
Its early provenance traces to Connecticut before entering a private collection. In 1952, the work was purchased by collectors Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch. The Garbisches later donated the painting to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., where it has been held since 1955.
The painting is held by the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., where it is recorded with accession number 1955.13.1. It entered the Gallery’s collection in 1955 as a gift from Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch, who had purchased the work in 1952.
The work has no documented exhibition history recorded in the cited sources.
Overview
Erastus Salisbury Field’s oil on canvas, dated around 1827, presents a solitary figure seated in a red armchair. The sitter looks directly at the viewer, his expression restrained, and holds a small glass vial in his right hand, suggesting a possible professional or scholarly association.
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