Artwork
Mr. Motte
Mr. Motte is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Jeremiah Theus. It dates from 1760 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
If you're interested in learning more about this style of painting, you might want to explore the Romanticism movement.
This portrait shows a man in a brown jacket with a blue vest underneath, standing in front of a dark green background. He has dark hair and is looking directly at the viewer.
The man's attire and the style of the painting suggest it is from the 18th century. The artist has used a range of colors to create a sense of depth and dimension in the painting.
If you're interested in learning more about this style of painting, you might want to explore the Romanticism movement.
Subject & Meaning
The painting Mr. Motte by Jeremiah Theus portrays a man identified only by the surname Motte, lacking further biographical detail. The work is classified as a portrait and is executed in oil on canvas, measuring 76.2 cm in height and 63.5 cm in width. Its iconography consists solely of the figure’s sober attire and direct gaze, which convey no overt symbolic attributes but instead emphasize the sitter’s presence.
The painting entered the collection of the National Gallery of Art through a series of transactions beginning with its sale by Charles Henry Hart to Thomas B. Clarke in 1920, followed by Clarke’s bequest to the museum in 1947.
Technique & Style
Mr. Motte is an oil painting executed on a canvas support by Jeremiah Theus in 1760. The work measures 76.2 cm in height and 63.5 cm in width. As a mid-18th-century portrait, it adheres to the traditional techniques of the period, utilizing oil pigments applied to a woven fabric ground. The physical dimensions and material composition reflect the standard practices for portraiture of the era.
History & Provenance
The portrait Mr. Motte was painted by Jeremiah Theus in 1760. It entered the art market in New York when Charles Henry Hart, a lawyer, dealer, and collector, owned the work. After his death, his widow retained the painting until it was sold on 29 May 1920 to Thomas B. Clarke, a New York collector.
Clarke’s estate later consigned the painting for sale, and on 29 January 1936 M. Knoedler & Co. of New York brokered its purchase by The A.W. Mellon Educational and Charitable Trust in Pittsburgh. In 1947, the Trust donated the painting to the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., where it remains as part of the Andrew W. Mellon collection.
The painting Mr. Motte by Jeremiah Theus is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., specifically within the Andrew W. Mellon collection. Its provenance traces to Charles Henry Hart of New York, whose widow sold the work to Thomas B. Clarke on May 29, 1920. Following Clarke's death, the painting was sold from his estate on January 29, 1936, through M. Knoedler & Co. to the A.W. Mellon Educational and Charitable Trust in Pittsburgh. The Trust subsequently gifted the artwork to the National Gallery of Art in 1947.
Overview
Jeremiah Theus’s oil on canvas portrait, titled Mr. Motte, dates to around 1760. The work presents a single male sitter positioned before a dark green backdrop, his gaze directed straight at the viewer.
Context
Created in the American colonial period, the portrait reflects the conventions of portraiture that were common among prosperous settlers. The work aligns with the broader European tradition of realistic, individually focused portraiture that preceded the later Romantic movement.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Jeremiah Theus (né Theüs; April 5, 1716 – May 17, 1774) was a Swiss-born American painter, primarily of portraits.
