Portrait of Mendes Cohen
1818
Medium
Painting
Classification
Painting
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase
Accession Number
1978.67.1
Tags
About this artwork
Joseph Wood was primarily a miniaturist, but he created several larger portraits, including this image of Mendes Cohen. The age of the sitter suggests he is probably Colonel Mendes I. Cohen, who was born in Richmond in 1796. Cohen enlisted in the army when he was sixteen and served during the War of 1812. He worked as a banker until 1829, when he retired and embarked on a six-year tour of Europe and the Middle East. He collected a wide variety of relics on his travels and was the first American ...
About the Artist
Joseph Wood · 1778–1830
1778–1830