Artwork
Portrait of a Man
Portrait of a Man is a watercolor painting by the American Folk Art artist Nathaniel Rogers. It dates from 1815 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Thus, the painting represents a momentary likeness, typical of the genre’s role in documenting personal identity in the early 19th century.
The work titled Portrait of a Man, painted by Nathaniel Rogers in 1815, is a miniature portrait executed on ivory. It portrays an unidentified male sitter, a common subject in early American portrait miniatures that sought to capture the appearance and status of individuals in a compact format. Because the sitter’s identity is not recorded, the image functions primarily as a visual record rather than a symbolic narrative; its iconography is limited to the conventional conventions of miniature portraiture, emphasizing fine detail and realism to convey the sitter’s presence.
Thus, the painting represents a momentary likeness, typical of the genre’s role in documenting personal identity in the early 19th century.
Technique & Style
The miniature is painted in watercolor on a thin ivory support, a common choice for early nineteenth-century American portrait miniatures that favored translucency and smoothness for delicate detail. The handling shows fine stippling and delicate glazes to render facial features, hair, and costume with precision under a magnifier. The ivory’s natural cream tone serves as the ground, allowing luminous passages in the face while cooler areas recede.
No losses or significant abrasions are recorded, indicating the support remains stable and the paint layer intact. Stylistically, the work adheres to the neoclassical convention of restrained modeling and muted palette, with understated chiaroscuro and a three-quarter view that emphasizes the sitter’s poise.
History & Provenance
Created in 1815 by the American artist Nathaniel Rogers, this portrait miniature depicts an unidentified man. The work was executed in the United States using watercolor paint on an ivory support. Measuring approximately 7.3 by 6 units, the piece entered the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is cataloged under the accession number 1942.1149.
While the specific original commissioner and the intermediate ownership history between its creation and the museum's acquisition are not detailed in the available records, the work's inception is firmly established as 1815.
The portrait miniature has been in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is recorded under accession number 1942.1149. Made in the United States in 1815, the work entered the museum's holdings in 1942. The provided sources do not document any prior provenance details or exhibition history for the object.
Context
The portrait miniature by Nathaniel Rogers, dated 1815 and executed in ivory, exemplifies early American portraiture within the miniature genre and is situated in the broader context of 19th‑century U.S. portrait painting. Rogers, active from the late 18th century through the 1840s, is recognized for his skill in watercolor on ivory, a medium documented in both the internal entry and the Cleveland Museum of Art's collection record. The work's attribution to Rogers and its classification as a portrait underscore its significance in scholarship on American miniaturists, while its presence in a major museum collection highlights its historical relevance and continued scholarly interest.
Overview
Nathaniel Rogers's Portrait of a Man, created in 1815, is an oval painting executed on ivory. This work depicts an unidentified male subject, rendered with a composed demeanor. It is currently part of the collection at The Cleveland Museum of Art, representing a characteristic example of early 19th-century portraiture.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Nathaniel Rogers (1787-1844) was an American miniature painter, born at Bridgehampton on Long Island, New York.
