Portrait of a Man and Woman

c. 1848

Marcus Aurelius Root, Samuel Root

Associated Names
Marcus Aurelius Root

Artist, American, 1808 - 1888

Samuel Root

Artist, American, 1819 - 1889

The image depicts a seated man and woman from the waist up. The man is on the left, sitting upright with one arm around the woman and the other holding an object or piece of paper. He has dark, combed-back hair, a broad face with a small smile, and wears a dark suit with a buttoned jacket and waistcoat, as well as a white dress shirt with a high collar. The woman, seated on the right, leans slightly toward the man, has a serious expression, and wears a white bonnet over darker hair, a dark shawl over her shoulders, and a lighter garment underneath. She holds a fan or similar object. The background is plain and dark, emphasizing the couple in a framed portrait typical of the period, enclosed in a rectangular frame with an oval cut-out. A gold mat surrounds the photograph within a maroon border.

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    daguerreotype

  • Credit Line

    Gift of Mary and Dan Solomon

  • Dimensions

    image (visible): 8.9 × 6.6 cm (3 1/2 × 2 5/8 in.)
    mat: 10.6 × 8 cm (4 3/16 × 3 1/8 in.)
    case (closed): 11.8 × 9.4 × 1.9 cm (4 5/8 × 3 11/16 × 3/4 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2025.12.4


Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Janet Lehr, East Hampton, NY; Mary and Dan Solomon, Dana Point, CA; gift to NGA, 2025.

Associated Names

Inscriptions

on velvet lining inside of case, center stamped perpendicular: ROOT'S / GALLERY / 140. / CHESTNUT ST. / PHILADA.


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