Richard Mentor Johnson

John Neagle

National Gallery of Art

This painting is a portrait of a man shown from the mid-torso up. His head is turned slightly to the right, looking away from us. The man has pale skin, ruddy cheeks, thick gray eyebrows, deep-set eyes, and thin lips. He has short, gray swept back in slight curls. He wears a vibrant red vest under a dark blue jacket, a white shirt underneath with a high collar, and a loosely tied black necktie. The background is dark and muted, with hints of dark green foliage and brown tree trunks, with hints of red and yellow ochre.