Artwork
John C. Calhoun
John C. Calhoun is a watercolor work on paper by the Romanticist artist Savinien Edme Dubourjal. It dates from 1846 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
The work’s condition remains stable, with only minor surface wear evident in the pigment layer, preserving the integrity of the artist’s technique.
The portrait is executed in watercolor, lead-white gouache, and gum arabic on a bristol board support, a combination that creates a delicate surface texture and subtle tonal gradations. The handling emphasizes fine linear detail in the facial features while broader washes define the surrounding drapery, producing a restrained yet expressive formal style characteristic of mid-nineteenth-century American portraiture. The work’s condition remains stable, with only minor surface wear evident in the pigment layer, preserving the integrity of the artist’s technique.
History & Provenance
The portrait was painted in 1846 by Savinien Edme Dubourjal using watercolor, lead-white gouache, and gum arabic on bristol board.
The work entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it has been held since acquisition. The painting depicts John C. Calhoun and measures 16.5 cm in height and 11.4 cm in width.
The watercolor and gouache portrait by Savinien Edme Dubourjal is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It is recorded with the accession number 2014.118 in the museum’s holdings. The work has not been recorded as exhibited in any documented public display since its acquisition.
Overview
Created in 1846 by French‑born artist Savinien Edme Dubourjal, this portrait presents John C. Calhoun, the former U.S. vice president and prominent advocate of slavery. Executed on Bristol board with watercolor, lead‑white gouache, and gum arabic, the work belongs to the American Wing collection.
Subject & Meaning
The sitter is shown in a dark suit, his gaze fixed directly ahead and his thin lips tightly pressed, conveying a sense of resolve. The portrait captures Calhoun at a moment of political prominence, reflecting his public persona as a determined defender of Southern interests.
Artist & collection
