Captain Joseph Anthony

Gilbert Stuart

National Gallery of Art

This painting shows a seated man from the waist up, his body turned slightly to the right and his head facing us. He has a round face with fair skin, rosy cheeks, and short, gray hair that curls around his ears. His thin lips are in a neutral expression. The man wears a dark blue coat with gold buttons over a white, high-collared shirt and a cream-colored vest. In his right hand, he holds a white quill pen. His right arm is resting on a green-topped table or desk that is covered with a pile of folded letters or papers, one of which he seems to be writing on. The background is plain and dark brown.