Portrait of a Gentleman

Henry Benbridge

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Portrait of a gentleman by Henry Benbridge. The painting depicts a man dressed in 18th-century attire. The man has gray hair styled in a wig, parted on the side and curled at the ears. He wears a red coat with tails, featuring large gold buttons down the front and on the cuffs, a red waistcoat with buttons down the center, and matching red breeches. Underneath, he has a white shirt with a high collar and white cuffs. The man stands with his right hand in his pocket and his left hand resting on a cane with a gold handle. The background shows a landscape with trees and a blue sky. The man's body faces slightly to the right, and he looks directly ahead. The overall color palette includes red, gold, white, gray, green, and blue. The subject wears formal, old-fashioned clothing typical of the 1700s. The setting includes natural scenery behind the figure.