Unidentified Boy
c. 1835-44
Medium
Drawing
Classification
Drawing
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of Sally Adler with heartfelt gratitude to Emma Joy Linen Dana, George L. Linenâs great-granddaughter, and her four devoted sons, Richard, John, Andrew, and Gordon
Accession Number
S/NPG.2018.8.18
Tags
Art Historical Context
**Unidentified Boy**, a delicate drawing created by George Linen around 1835-1844, captures the innocent gaze of a young boy in this poignant portrait from early 19th-century America Linen (1802-1888), a skilled draftsman active during a time when portraiture served as a vital means preserving personal and family legacies before photography's rise, rendered this work with precise lines and subtle shading typical of period drawings. As a standalone portrait in graphite or ink on paper, it exemplifies the intimate, accessible medium favored by itinerant artists, offering an affordable alternativ...