Portrait of a Gentleman
1800
Medium
Painting-Miniature
Classification
Painting-Miniature
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Mary Elizabeth Spencer
Accession Number
1999.27.37
Tags
About this artwork
Although we do not know who this man was, his elegantly knotted tie and the miniature he wears at his throat suggest he was a man of some means, perhaps a successful merchant like Howes Goldsborough, also painted by James Peale around this time [see 1948.5.1].
About the Artist
James Peale
James Peale was an American painter born in 1749, the younger brother of the more famous Charles Willson Peale, and a member of one of the most remarkable artistic families in the history of American art. Trained largely by his brother, James worked for many years in Charles Willson's shadow, assisting with portraits and miniatures in the Philadelphia studio before developing his own independent p...