Robert G. L. De Peyster1828
Samuel Lovett Waldo painted this in 1828, aged 45. It is now at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. More about this work
About this work
This image depicts a man from the waist up. He is seated, slightly turned to his right, while facing the viewer. The man has a composed expression, prominent cheekbones, and a slightly pointed nose. His dark brown hair is styled in a classic early 19th-century manner, with curls around the sides and forehead. He is dressed in a dark blue coat with gold buttons, a yellow waistcoat, a high-collared white shirt, and a decorative pin. In his right hand, he holds a piece of folded paper with writing on it. The background is an indistinct swirl of darker colors.
Description from the National Gallery of Art.
Samuel Lovett Waldo painted this in 1828, aged 45. It is now at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC.
How it was made
- Oil on panel
- Oil paint on prepared wooden boards, usually oak in the north and poplar in Italy. The rigid, smooth surface suits fine detail and thin, glowing glazes.
- Oil paint
- Pigment ground in a drying oil, usually linseed. It dries slowly, so painters could blend on the canvas, build up thin translucent glazes, and rework a picture over weeks. Canvas replaced wooden panels in the 1500s because it is lighter and can be rolled.
Rights and the museum’s record
Public domain. The National Gallery of Art has dedicated this image to the public domain under CC0, so anyone may copy, adapt and use it, for any purpose, without asking. Our prints and files are reproductions made from the museum’s image; the museum doesn’t endorse them.
- Object number
- 1942.8.38
- Credit
- Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
- Type
- Painting
- Licence
- CC0 1.0 Universal
- Museum record
- See it on the museum’s site
