Portrait of a Gentleman
ca. 1795
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
1999.27.45
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
About this artwork
This portrait of a gruff-looking gentleman was originally attributed to Edward Savage, but research indicates it is by Henry Benbridge. The sitter’s wary expression and pugnacious jaw suggest a personality only slightly tamed by elegant clothing.
About the Artist
Henry Benbridge · 1743–1812
**Henry Benbridge** (October 1743 – February 1812) was an American portrait painter born in Philadelphia as the only child of James and Mary (Clark) Benbridge. After his father’s death, his mother remarried wealthy Scottish merchant Thomas Gordon when Benbridge was seven; the family encouraged his artistic talents, and he may have received early instruction from English painter John Wollaston. At ...