Cameo of a Gentleman

Art Historical Context

In the mid-19th century, sculptor Erastus Dow Palmer the refined likeness of an unnamed gentleman in this delicate plaster cameo, dated around 1850. Measuring just 1 7/8 x 1 3/8 inches, the intimate profile portrait exemplifies the neoclassical revival popular in the United States during this era. Palmer, a self-taught engraver from New York who rose to prominence as a cameo specialist, skillfully rendered the subject's noble features—high forehead, aquiline nose, and composed expression—in high relief, evoking ancient Roman intaglios while celebrating contemporary American identity. Plaster,...