James Lenox Seated
February 19, 1874
Classification
portraits
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Bequest of Erskine Hewitt
Accession Number
1938-57-1040
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
**James Lenox Seated** is a compelling portrait by Daniel Huntington, a leading American artist (1816–1906) known for his refined depictions of the nation's cultural elite. Painted on February 19,1874, this work captures James Lenox, a prominent New York philanthropist and book collector, seated in a moment of quiet dignity. As part of the Smithsonian American Museum's collection—acquired through the bequest of Erskine—it exemplifies 19th-century portraiture role in immortalizing influential figures during America's Gilded Age. Huntington, a member of the National Academy of Design and its pr...