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Portrait of a Gentleman with Initials H. D. C.
ca. 1795
- Medium
- watercolor on ivory
- Classification
- Paintings
- Dimensions
- sight 2 1/2 x 2 in. (6.4 x 5.1 cm) oval
- Museum
- Smithsonian Institution, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Painting and Sculpture
- Credit line
- Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Rene Muller
- Rights
- CC0 (Smithsonian Open Access), 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 Smithsonian Institution
About this work
Around 1794, the style of powdering hair fell out of favor. In this miniature, the sitter’s long white and gray hair, possibly pulled back in a “pigtail queue,” marks the change from British aristocratic fashion to new trends set by young Americans. The casual hair, assertive expression, and sensual mouth express this gentleman’s confidence, and perhaps even imply a mischievous streak.
