Eighteenth Century Man

Date1775-1800

DimensionsSight: 22 1/2 × 17 1/2 in. (57.2 × 44.5 cm)

Object numberN0111.1961(01)

Credit LineCollection of the Fenimore Art Museum. Gift of Stephen C. Clark

Photograph by Richard Walker

Label TextA strong sense of character is captured by the artist in the stern, tight-lipped expressions and penetrating gazes of these sitters (see N0111.61(2)). However, the difficulties encountered by the portraitist in the definition of anatomical features are evident in the man's undersized ear, his oddly hooked nose, and the woman's stubby hand. Teardrop-shaped eyes with dilated pupils and pale lines of color adding definition to costumes also seem to be distinctive stylistic traits of this unidentified hand. The man's long hair is given texture by the use of quickly drawn lines, while the woman's hair, tucked underneath her bonnet, is rendered in a tight, controlled manner.
ProvenanceFound near Cambridge, Massachusetts; Mr. and Mrs. Howard Lipman, Wilton, Connecticut; Mr. Stephen C. Clark, Sr., Cooperstown, New York
BibliographyPaul S. D'Ambrosio and Charlotte M. Emans, "Folk Art's Many Faces: Portraits in the New York State Historical Association," Cooperstown: NYSHA, 1987, p. 167.

On View

Not on view