Artwork Page for Portrait of a Man

Details / Information for Portrait of a Man

Portrait of a Man

c. 1800

William Beechey

(British, 1753–1839)
Culture
England, early 19th Century
Medium
oil on canvas
Measurements
Unframed: 75.2 x 63 cm (29 5/8 x 24 13/16 in.)
Credit Line
Anonymous Gift 1978.75
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
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Description

The subject’s elongated, slightly softened facial features and vaguely detached air are typical of William Beechey’s elegant portraits of male subjects. The jacket worn by the sitter is probably a naval uniform. Beechey enjoyed a very successful painting career in London. In 1793 he was appointed portrait painter to Queen Charlotte and was knighted in 1798.
A vertically oriented oil painting depicts a man with light skin tone turned slightly to our right in a chest-length portrait. He has curly gray hair, dark sideburns, and a steady gaze. He wears a high, wrapped white neckcloth beneath a dark coat accented by a red collar and horizontal gold-braid bars. Light from our left highlights his face and the texture of his hair against the dark, shadowy background.

Portrait of a Man

c. 1800

William Beechey

(British, 1753–1839)
England, early 19th Century

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