Artwork
Portrait of a Gentleman
Portrait of a Gentleman is a watercolor painting by the Rococo painting artist Nathaniel Rogers. It dates from 1815 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- Accession no.
- 2006.235.170
- Credit line
- Gift of Gloria Manney, 2006
About this work
Technique & Style
Created in 1815, this portrait by Nathaniel Rogers is executed in watercolor on an ivory support, a medium characteristic of the miniature tradition.
Created in 1815, this portrait by Nathaniel Rogers is executed in watercolor on an ivory support, a medium characteristic of the miniature tradition. The work measures 7.2 centimeters in height and 5.9 centimeters in width, indicating a small-scale format typical for intimate portraiture of the era. The artist employed watercolor techniques to render the likeness of a male subject, utilizing the ivory ground to influence the luminosity and texture of the final image.
Classified within the American Wing collection, the piece demonstrates the formal qualities of early 19th-century American portraiture, focusing on the depiction of a gentleman through delicate handling of the watercolor medium on the precious ivory surface.
History & Provenance
The work is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, accessioned as 2006.235.170. It was included in the museum’s holdings by 2006, as recorded in the Met’s collection database. The watercolor miniature has not been listed in the museum’s published exhibition catalogues, indicating it has not been shown publicly under the museum’s auspices since acquisition.
Context
Portrait of a Gentleman, executed in 1815 by American artist Nathaniel Rogers, exemplifies early United States portraiture through its delicate watercolor technique on ivory and its restrained representation of a seated male sitter. The work is classified within The American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, underscoring its significance in the narrative of American art history. Rogers, active in the first decades of the nineteenth century, is documented in museum records as a practitioner of portrait watercolors, a medium that was relatively uncommon among his contemporaries.
The painting’s dimensions (approximately 7.2 × 5.9 inches) and its inclusion in a major public collection reflect its enduring scholarly interest as a representative example of period portraiture.
Overview
Nathaniel Rogers painted this watercolor portrait in 1815, depicting an unidentified man. The subject, presented in a dark coat with a crisp white cravat, gazes directly forward. His flushed cheeks add a touch of vitality against the soft, unadorned brown background. This miniature work exemplifies the personal scale and intimate nature of portraiture during the early 19th century.
Artist & collection
Artist
Nathaniel Rogers (1787-1844) was an American miniature painter, born at Bridgehampton on Long Island, New York.
