The image shows a man depicted from the waist up, holding surveying instruments in his hands. He is positioned facing slightly to the left while looking directly at the viewer. His facial features are distinct with a straight nose, thin lips, and light complexion, and his hair is short and dark, neatly combed back. He is dressed in formal attire consisting of a black suit with a white shirt and a black necktie. The man is holding a yellow ruler-like tool in one hand while the other hand holds a compass. Behind him, there is a surveyor's transit on a tripod. The background includes a tree…
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Henry W. Houston

Elias V. Coe (American, 1794 - 1843)

1837

Medium
oil on canvas
Classification
Painting
Dimensions
overall: 71.3 x 55.9 cm (28 1/16 x 22 in.) ; framed: 91.4 x 76.2 x 6.3 cm (36 x 30 x 2 1/2 in.)
Culture
American
Museum
National Gallery of Art, CAB
Credit line
Gift of Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch
Rights
Public domain (NGA Open Access, CC0), as the museum states it.
Who can see it
Tweens profiles and older: its subjects are known and suit older children. How works are placed

View at the National Gallery of Art