Textile Merchant

American 19th Century

National Gallery of Art

This painting shows the upper body of a man seated at a table. He is holding a quill over a sheet of paper, and his body is turned slightly to the right as he looks out at us. He has a fair complexion, large green eyes, a straight nose, and a neutral expression. He has dark, wavy hair, and is dressed in a formal black jacket with a white shirt underneath, a black bow tie, and a yellow waistcoat adorned with a gold-colored chain and a pin. On the brown table he sits behind, there is an ink pot with another quill in it, and a thick brown book partially covered by the paper he writes on. Behind his head are rolls of patterned fabric on shelves, along with several blue boxes. The walls are a dark green color, and on the right is a bright red curtain with a black pattern on the gold-fringed edges.