Portrait of Two Boys
c. 1870s
Medium
tintype with applied color
Dimensions
image/plate: 25.7 x 18 cm (10 1/8 x 7 1/16 in.)
Classification
Photograph
Department
CPH
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Mary and Dan Solomon and Patrons' Permanent Fund
Accession Number
2006.133.133
Art Historical Context
**Portrait of Two Boys**, created by an anonymous American photographer around the 1870s, captures innocence and formality of childhood in post-Civil War America. tintype, a direct-positive image on a thin iron plate, measures 25.7 x 18 cm and exemplifies the era's accessible photography. Tintypes, invented in the 1850s, democratized portraiture, allowing families from all walks of life to preserve memories affordably—often posed stiffly in studios with props like chairs or backdrops to convey respectability. The subtle applied color enhances the boys' cheeks, lips, and clothing, a popular ha...
About the Artist
American 19th Century
The artist cataloged as "American, 19th Century" represents a collective of unidentified painters active in the United States during the nineteenth century, with 380 known artworks preserved in this virtual museum's collection. These works span a diverse array of genres typical of the era, including portraits, landscapes, still lifes, and genre scenes, reflecting the burgeoning artistic output of ...