Man with Vial

Erastus Salisbury Field

National Gallery of Art

This image depicts the upper half of a man's body. He is seated and facing forward with his body slightly angled to the right. The man has light skin, blue eyes, and light brown, upward-styled hair. His facial features are well-defined, and he looks directly at the viewer with a faintly serious expression. He is dressed in formal attire, with a dark coat over a high-collared white shirt with horizontal pleats and a cravat-like neckwear. His left hand holds a small vial containing a red liquid, and a wedding band is visible on his right ring finger. The chair has red upholstery with a decorative scroll design on the armrest. The background is a dark brown color that lightens around the figure, drawing attention to him.