Artwork
Portrait of a Gentleman
Portrait of a Gentleman is a watercolor painting. It dates from 1842 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- Accession no.
- 2006.235.239
- Credit line
- Fletcher Fund, 2006
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Because the artist remains unknown, the image relies on visual cues such as attire and poise to convey the subject’s status rather than personal identity.
The painting presents an unidentified male sitter, titled Portrait of a Gentleman, and functions as a conventional portrait that emphasizes the sitter’s social standing. The work depicts a man in a manner typical of mid‑nineteenth‑century portraiture, where clothing and posture signal respectability and refinement. Because the artist remains unknown, the image relies on visual cues such as attire and poise to convey the subject’s status rather than personal identity.
The composition therefore communicates ideas of gentility and respectability associated with the gentleman class, while the lack of further iconographic detail leaves the symbolic meaning limited to the formal portrait genre.
Technique & Style
The work is executed in watercolor on ivory, a miniature format suited to intimate portraiture. Its modest dimensions of 8.1 by 6.4 centimeters place it firmly within the conventions of the small-scale keepsake portrait popular in the early-to-mid nineteenth century. The ivory support allowed for the fine, translucent handling characteristic of the medium, lending the sitter's features a delicate, luminous quality.
Classified within the Metropolitan Museum of Art's American Wing, the piece is catalogued as an anonymous portrait dated 1840.
History & Provenance
The Portrait of a Gentleman is a watercolor on ivory dating to around 1840. The work was produced by an anonymous hand and portrays an unidentified man; it was classified within The American Wing and listed as a portrait in the museum’s catalogue.
The piece entered the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection in 2006 under accession number 2006.235.239 and remains on view in The American Wing. No documentation indicates a specific commission, and the artist’s identity has not been established.
The miniature is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is catalogued under accession number 2006.235.239. It belongs to the museum's American Wing, consistent with its 1840 American provenance. No exhibition history is recorded in the available sources.
The work measures 8.1 cm in height by 6.4 cm in width, executed in watercolor on ivory.
Overview
This small-scale artwork, titled Portrait of a Gentleman, is rendered in watercolor on ivory. It presents a composed male figure, dressed in a dark coat and white shirt, whose gaze meets the viewer directly. Such intimate portraits, often referred to as miniatures, were commonly produced during a period when personal keepsakes were highly valued.
Artist & collection
