Portrait of James S. Beckham
1842
Medium
Graphic Arts-Print
Classification
Graphic Arts-Print
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Patricia Brady
Accession Number
1996.64
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century New Orleans with *Portrait of James S. Beckham* (1842), a striking lithographic print by Jules Lion. This Graphic Arts-Print, now housed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum, captures the dignified likeness of its male subject against a refined backdrop, showcasing Lion's mastery of portraiture. Donated as a gift from Patricia Brady, it exemplifies the precision of lithography—a revolutionary printing technique that allowed for detailed, reproducible images from a single stone drawing, making fine art more accessible in antebellum America. Jules L...