Portrait of a Man in Red

c. 1785/1790

The Sherman Limner

Associated Names
The Sherman Limner

Painter, American, active c. 1785/1790

The image shows a man from the waist up, sitting with his body slightly facing left and his head turned towards the viewer. He has a long face, defined features, fair complexion, and dark hair framing his face and extending to his shoulders with a straight fringe across his forehead. He is wearing a red coat with gold buttons over a white high-collared shirt, holding a closed book in his right hand. The background is plain with earthy tones and a subtle texture, emphasizing the figure. A dark chair is partially visible behind him on the left side of the image.

Media Options

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Artwork overview


Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Recorded as from New York City. (Albert Duveen, New York); sold in 1950 to (M. Knoedler and Co., New York); sold in 1950 to Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch; bequest 1980 to NGA.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1954

  • American Primitive Paintings from the Collection of Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch, Part I, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1954, no. 26.

1955

  • American Primitive Paintings, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 1955.

Bibliography

1992

  • Chotner, Deborah, with contributions by Julie Aronson, Sarah D. Cash, and Laurie Weitzenkorn. American Naive Paintings. The Collections of the National Gallery of Art Systematic Catalogue. Washington, D.C., 1992: 347, 350, color repro. 348.

  • American Paintings: An Illustrated Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1992: 336, repro.

Inscriptions

on book: MILTON / WORKS / VOL / I

Wikidata ID

Q20179388

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