# Portrait of a New York Gentleman

- Date: ca. 1840
- Medium: oil on canvas mounted on aluminum
- Classification: Paintings
- Dimensions: overall: 6 3/4 x 5 5/8 in. (17.2 x 14.4 cm)
- Culture: New York
- Credit line: Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase
- Museum: [Smithsonian Institution](https://americanart.si.edu/collections/search/artwork/?id=14795)
- Rights: [CC0 (Smithsonian Open Access)](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- Picture: https://invisiblenetwork.ai/thumbs/web/80e898fe6223d68fca76aa83188087d0.jpg
- Who can see it: Teens profiles and older (museums give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the museum's own words)

George Linen used the European portrait convention of an open window and a curtain drawn back behind his sitter in many of his paintings. Here, he posed his sitter before a window opening onto trees and a moody sky. The gentleman’s upright posture, wide eyes, and high brow convey a gentle and thoughtful personality. Small portraits like this, called cabinet paintings, were popular before photography.