Artwork
Mr. Baylor
Mr. Baylor is an oil painting by the Naïve art artist Joshua Johnson. It dates from 1805 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. This oil on canvas painting, titled Mr.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The composition thus conveys both personal identity and broader social positioning of the subject.
The painting Mr. Baylor presents a white male sitter with striking red hair, a visual cue that marks him as an individual of distinct appearance within early American portraiture. Rendered in oil on canvas in 1805 by naïve-style artist Joshua Johnson, the work functions as a status portrait, emphasizing the sitter's genteel identity through conventional pose and direct gaze. The depiction of a specific, possibly locally prominent figure reflects contemporary concerns with lineage and personal reputation, while the naïve aesthetic underscores a regional artistic practice that prioritized likeness over academic refinement. The composition thus conveys both personal identity and broader social positioning of the subject.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1805, Mr. Baylor is an oil painting on canvas measuring 61 by 50 centimeters. The work is classified within the naïve art movement and functions as a portrait depicting a white man with red hair. As a two-dimensional support, the canvas bears the applied oil pigments that define the sitter's features.
The composition focuses entirely on the male subject, adhering to the conventions of early nineteenth-century portraiture through its direct representation of the individual. The physical dimensions and material composition remain consistent with standard practices for portable portraits of this era, utilizing traditional oil paints to render the figure against an unspecified background.
History & Provenance
Mr. Baylor was painted in 1805 by American naïve portraitist Joshua Johnson. The oil on canvas portrays a man with red hair and belongs to the portrait genre. Its early ownership descended in the sitter's family to a Mrs. Baylor of Hagerstown, Maryland.
In 1956 the work was sold by Baltimore dealer Norman Asner to collectors Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch, who donated it to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., in 1978, where it remains. The sources do not specify an inventory or accession number, nor do they record any exhibition history for the work.
Overview
This oil on canvas painting, titled Mr. Baylor, presents a portrait of a man with distinctive red hair. He is depicted wearing period attire, suggesting a specific historical context for the sitter. The artwork serves as a direct visual record of an individual, capturing his likeness with a focus on personal attributes.
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