Sir Joshua Reynolds

Gilbert Stuart

National Gallery of Art

This painting is a portrait of a man shown from the waist up. He is seated, facing slightly to the left but looking directly at us. The man has light gray hair styled back from his face, with curls visible at the sides. His skin is fair with slightly pink cheeks. He is wearing a formal outfit: a dark jacket over a white, high-collared shirt with ruffled edges and dark trousers. He holds a small object, possibly a box, in his hands, which are placed in his lap. There is a red cloth or curtain behind him, with rolls of parchment or cloth on a table nearby on the left. The wall behind him is a muted green color that fades into shadow near the upper-right and lower-right corners.