Artwork
Portrait of a Quaker
Portrait of a Quaker is an oil painting by the American Impressionist artist Adolf Ulrik Wertmüller. It dates from 1795 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
The physical construction relies on traditional materials standard for the period, combining oil pigment with a woven textile ground to create the image.
Executed in 1795, this portrait utilizes oil paint applied to a canvas support. The work measures 71.2 centimeters in height and 56.1 centimeters in width. Classified as a painting within the portrait genre, the piece demonstrates the artist's engagement with late eighteenth-century portraiture conventions through its chosen medium and dimensions.
The physical construction relies on traditional materials standard for the period, combining oil pigment with a woven textile ground to create the image.
History & Provenance
Adolph-Ulrich Wertmüller executed this oil on canvas portrait in 1795. It later belonged to Rose M. de Forest of New York, from whom Thomas B. Clarke acquired it in 1930. Following Clarke's death, his estate sold the painting on 29 January 1936 through the dealer M. Knoedler & Co. to the A.W. Mellon Educational and Charitable Trust of Pittsburgh.
In 1954 the Trust donated the work to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., where it remains as part of the Andrew W. Mellon collection. The painting had earlier been shown in 1928 at the Philadelphia Museum of Art in the exhibition Portraits by Early American Artists of the Seventeenth, Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries Collected by Thomas B. Clarke.
Overview
Adolph-Ulrich Wertmüller completed Portrait of a Quaker in 1795, rendering the subject in oil on canvas. This painting presents a formal depiction of an individual, characteristic of portraiture from the late 18th century. The artwork captures the sitter with a direct gaze, inviting engagement from the viewer.
Subject & Meaning
The painting features a man with white hair, formally attired in a dark jacket over a light-colored vest. His gaze is directed outward, establishing a direct connection with the observer. This style of presentation, emphasizing a dignified and forthright demeanor, was common in portraiture during this period, reflecting societal expectations for such depictions.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Adolf Ulrik Wertmüller (February 18, 1751 – October 5, 1811) was a Swedish painter whose notable works include Danaë receiving Jupiter in a Shower of Gold.
