Portrait of a Gentleman
James M. Pearce, n.d.
19th century
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
1999.27.40
Tags
bust
About this artwork
Although this piece is unsigned, the pronounced cross-hatching in the background, the vague sense of clouds behind the manâs head, and the shorthand strokes that create the edges of his necktie are all characteristics of the work of James M. Pearce. The intertwined initials âWCâ on the back of the locket are the only clue to the sitterâs identity.