1775
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Portrait of a Man is a 1775 unspecified by John Smart, a Rococo painting work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
This is a tiny portrait of a man in a powdered wig and a dark coat. His blue-green eyes look off to the side, and his hair is tied back in a short ponytail. Smart painted miniatures—small, detailed portraits meant to be carried like photos. Most were done on ivory, which gives the skin a soft glow. This one might have been a practice sketch before the final version. If you like how Smart catches a person’s quiet expression, look up more works from england, 18th century.
G. C. Williamson was the first to suggest that Smart’s sketches were well known and that they were preparatory studies for the painted miniatures. Williamson listed the names of sitters from the sketches known to him at the time, and they included Mr. Batson (the identification formerly given to the sitter in this portrait). His head and shoulders face left. He has blue-green eyes and dark eyebrows and wears his powdered hair en queue . His coat has a narrow collar, under which he dons a high collar and frilled vest. A band of black around his neck hints at perhaps another collar, a…
Edward B. Greene gave his renowned collection of portrait miniatures to the Cleveland Museum of Art primarily during the 1940s, while drawings such as this came only later, donated by his daughter.
Read the full account in the museum source.
John Smart (1 May 1741 – 1 May 1811) was an English painter who specialised in portrait miniatures. He was a contemporary of Richard Cosway, George Engleheart, William Wood and Richard Crosse.
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