Edward Stow

Gilbert Stuart

National Gallery of Art

This painting is a portrait of a man from the waist up. He is seated with his body facing slightly to the right and his head turned toward us. The man has a fair complexion with rosy cheeks and a neutral expression. He has short, curly brown hair, pale eyebrows, a long, straight nose, and a weak chin. He is wearing a dark navy coat with gold buttons, a high-collared white shirt, and a white cravat. The man sits in a red cushioned chair, and in front of him is a red desk or writing surface. His right hand rests on the surface on top of a sheet of white paper, holding a white feather quill pen. In the background, there seems to be a gray column behind him, framed on either side by red curtains, and in the bottom left corner a hint of a cloudy blue sky and green foliage are visible.