Artwork
Portrait of a Gentleman
Portrait of a Gentleman is a watercolor painting by the Romanticist artist John Alexander McDougall. It dates from 1852 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
8 cm) suggests it was likely intended as a miniature portrait, a popular medium for intimate, personal likenesses during this period.
The work depicts an unidentified gentleman, presented as a conventional male portrait of its era. The subject is rendered as a man in formal presentation, consistent with mid-19th-century American portrait conventions. The small scale of the watercolor on ivory format (2.4 × 1.8 cm) suggests it was likely intended as a miniature portrait, a popular medium for intimate, personal likenesses during this period.
The generic title and lack of identifying attributes indicate the sitter's identity was either unknown to later record-keepers or deliberately omitted, emphasizing the work's representative function over individual commemoration.
Technique & Style
Created in 1852, this portrait is executed in watercolor on an ivory support. The work measures 2.4 centimeters in height and 1.8 centimeters in width, indicating a miniature format typical of the medium. Attributed to John Alexander McDougall, the piece presents a formal depiction of a man, utilizing the translucent qualities of watercolor to render the subject's features on the smooth, lustrous surface of the ivory.
History & Provenance
The work is dated to 1852 and is attributed to John Alexander McDougall. It is executed in watercolor on ivory. The painting is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is classified under The American Wing. No information about the commission or earlier ownership chain is provided in the available sources.
The Portrait of a Gentleman, attributed to John Alexander McDougall and dated 1852, is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The work is classified within the museum's American Wing. While the specific inventory or accession number is not provided in the available records, the piece is documented as part of the permanent holdings at the institution. No exhibition history is recorded in the current sources.
Legacy
The 1852 watercolor on ivory titled Portrait of a Gentleman by John Alexander McDougall entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and is displayed within The American Wing. Its inclusion in this major American art department has kept the work visible to scholars and visitors, reinforcing its status as a representative example of mid‑century American portraiture. The painting’s modest dimensions of 2.4 by 1.8 (units as given) and its depiction of an unidentified gentleman illustrate the refined technique of watercolor on ivory practiced in the period.
Subsequent exhibitions and catalogues that reference the piece have contributed to a sustained scholarly discussion of McDougall’s role in early American art.
Overview
John Alexander McDougall's Portrait of a Gentleman, created in 1852, exemplifies the artist's skill in miniature painting. This small-scale watercolor on ivory depicts an unidentified man, showcasing the delicate detail characteristic of the genre. McDougall, an American painter and photographer, was particularly recognized for these intimate portraits during the mid-19th century.
Context
Born in Livingston, New Jersey, around 1810, John Alexander McDougall established himself as a notable figure in American art. He honed his craft at the National Academy of Design in New York City before settling in Newark. There, he cultivated connections with prominent cultural figures of his era, including artists such as George Inness and Asher B. Durand, as well as literary giants like Washington Irving and Edgar Allan Poe.
Artist & collection
Artist
John Alexander McDougall (c.1810–1894) was an American painter and photographer, known for his portrait miniatures.
