Artwork
Portrait of a Gentleman
Portrait of a Gentleman is a watercolor painting. It dates from 1832 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
No additional iconographic attributes or symbolic elements are recorded in the available documentation, and the sitter’s identity remains unknown.
The work titled Portrait of a Gentleman shows an unidentified man rendered in watercolor on ivory, dated to 1830. According to the catalog entry, the main subject is a man and the piece is classified as a portrait within the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection, where it is housed in The American Wing. No additional iconographic attributes or symbolic elements are recorded in the available documentation, and the sitter’s identity remains unknown.
The painting’s genre and subject matter align with traditional portraiture of the period, emphasizing the sitter’s status as a gentleman.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1830, this portrait utilizes watercolor applied to an ivory support, a medium characteristic of miniature painting traditions. The work measures approximately 5.9 by 4.6 units, indicating a small-scale format intended for intimate viewing. As a piece housed within the American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the object reflects the technical conventions of early nineteenth-century portraiture.
The composition focuses solely on a male subject, rendered with the delicate handling typical of watercolor on ivory, which allows for translucent layering and fine detail. While the specific artist remains unidentified, the choice of materials and the precise dimensions suggest a formal approach consistent with the genre's requirements during this period. The survival of the ivory support and the watercolor pigment demonstrates the object's physical continuity from its creation date to its current institutional preservation.
History & Provenance
Portrait of a Gentleman is a watercolor on ivory painted circa 1830 by an unidentified American artist. The work, classified within the American Wing as a portrait, depicts a man and was originally likely commissioned as a private likeness. It entered the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection under accession number 2006.235.234, where it remains on view.
The museum’s records list the piece’s inception date as 1830 and describe it as part of the museum’s portrait genre, confirming its provenance from creation through current ownership.
Portrait of a Gentleman is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is classified within The American Wing. The work is catalogued under the inventory number 2006.235.234. A watercolor on ivory dated to 1830, it depicts a man in portrait format, with recorded dimensions of approximately 5.9 by 4.6 units.
The provided sources do not document any specific exhibition history for the work beyond its presence in the museum's holdings.
Overview
This miniature artwork, titled Portrait of a Gentleman, is rendered in watercolor on ivory. The intimate scale, comparable to a playing card, presents a man in a dark coat, his gaze directed forward. His features are softly illuminated, with a crisp white collar and a gold watch chain providing distinct accents against a subdued background. This piece is housed within The American Wing collection.
Artist & collection
