Portrait of a Blacksmith
Medium
ambrotype
Dimensions
image (visible): 9 × 6.5 cm (3 9/16 × 2 9/16 in.) mat: 10.7 × 8.2 cm (4 3/16 × 3 1/4 in.) framed: 12.2 × 9.8 × 1.2 cm (4 13/16 × 3 7/8 × 1/2 in.)
Classification
Photograph
Department
CPH
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
The Ross J. Kelbaugh Collection
Accession Number
2023.146.44
Art Historical Context
Step into the 1850s with *Portrait of a Blacksmith*, a poignant ambrotype from an anonymous American photographer. This intimate photograph captures the sturdy visage of a working-class artisan, his direct gaze and simple attire evoking the grit and pride of mid-19th-century America. Measuring just 9 × 6.5 cm, it's a pocket-sized treasure, likely cherished as a personal memento family or friends. Ambrotypes, invented around 1852, revolutionized portraiture by making photography affordable and accessible. Created on glass using the wet collodion process, the image appears as a positive when ba...
About the Artist
American 19th Century
The artist cataloged as "American, 19th Century" represents a collective of unidentified painters active in the United States during the nineteenth century, with 380 known artworks preserved in this virtual museum's collection. These works span a diverse array of genres typical of the era, including portraits, landscapes, still lifes, and genre scenes, reflecting the burgeoning artistic output of ...