Portrait of a Man

Marcus Aurelius Root, Samuel Root

National Gallery of Art

The image shows a head-and-shoulders portrait of a man facing slightly to the right, with his gaze directed towards the camera. His facial features include a well-groomed mustache and beard combination that frames his lips. His hair is combed back from a high forehead, with visible hair receding at the temples but styled to show soft waves. He is dressed formally in a dark coat with a white shirt underneath, along with a cravat or bow tie wrapped around his neck. The photograph is housed in an ornate frame with a gold border and has a plain dark background. The daguerreotype is enclosed in a case with a red velvet lining around the inner perimeter under the glass cover.