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Open 10:00–5:00

Visit
Open today 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Admission is always free

6th and Constitution Ave NW
Washington, DC 20565

Sculpture Garden Extended Hours

Open late until 8:00 p.m. on select nights
Through September 5
Exhibitions & Events
America’s 250th

Celebrating American art and artists
Art & Artists
Open Call

Artists Reimagining the Collection
Meet the 50 makers selected from more than 1,600 submissions

Portrait of Shoeshine Boys

1880s

American 19th Century

Associated Names

American 19th Century

Artist

The image shows two boys standing side by side. The boy on the left has short hair and a neutral expression, wearing a checked shirt and pants with suspenders. The boy on the right has wavier hair, looking downward, wearing a shirt with a bow around his neck. They are both barefoot on a patterned surface. Between them is a block-like object with a shoe on top. The backdrop is a painted scenic view of a lake, mountains, and greenery.

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This object’s media is free and in the public domain. Read our full Open Access policy for images.

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Artwork overview

Medium

tintype
Credit Line

The Ross J. Kelbaugh Collection
Dimensions

image/plate: 8.3 × 6.1 cm (3 1/4 × 2 3/8 in.)
Accession Number

2023.146.79

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Ross Kelbaugh, Marriottsville, MD; gift to NGA, 2023.

Associated Names

Kelbaugh, Ross J.

Inscriptions

on verso, by Ross Kelbaugh, upper left in graphite on applied sticker: KL062 / JL

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