General William Smallwood

Robert Edge Pine

National Gallery of Art

A pale-skinned man wearing a military uniform is shown from the waist up in this vertical portrait painting. His body is angled to our left with his arms by his sides, and he looks in that direction with brown eyes under curving brows. He has a straight, pointed nose, slightly pursed pink lips, and a double chin. His white hair is brushed back from a high forehead and tied at the back of his neck. His dark blue jacket has a shiny gold epaulet decorated with two silver stars on the shoulder we can see. The jacket has wide, butter-yellow trim around the neck and down the front over a frilly, ruffled cravat. The coat has brass buttons, and a dark blue and pale yellow medal with a gold eagle is pinned to the lapel. The background is golden brown to the right of the man and darkens to coffee brown along the left edge.