Portrait of a Man (Possibly Peter Vogelsang Sr.), probably 1829

American 19th Century

The identity of this elegantly dressed man has long been a mystery — but the painting provides many clues. We can read the name of the steamship (New Philadelphia) and identify the landscape as the Hudson River Palisades in New Jersey or New York. Research based on these details now suggests that the sitter may be Peter Vogelsang Sr. (c. 1793 – 1844).

Newspaper references link Vogelsang to steamship companies based in New York during the 1820s. He was also part of an elite circle of African American men throughout the Northeast who engaged in debates about abolishing slavery. Someone in his position may have been able to commission a portrait and sit for it in a refined suit like this one.

Information on this painting can be found in the Gallery publication American Naive Paintings, pages 572-574, which is available as a free PDF.

Object Data

Medium

oil on wood

Dimensions

overall: 49.5 x 34.3 cm (19 1/2 x 13 1/2 in.)

framed: 56 x 40.9 x 3.8 cm (22 1/16 x 16 1/8 x 1 1/2 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch

Accession Number

1953.5.22

Artists / Makers

American 19th Century (painter)

Image Use

This image is in the public domain.
Read our full Open Access policy for images .

Detail Information

Inscription

on steamboat: NEW / PHILADELPHIA; incised into paint on reverse (no longer visible, photograph in object file [1953.5.22] in NGA curatorial records): 1829

Provenance

Recorded as from Baltimore. (G.A. Berlinsky, Baltimore); sold 1948 to Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch; gift 1953 to NGA.

Associated Names

Berlinsky, G. A.
Garbisch, Edgar William, Mr. and Mrs.
Unknown Patron

Bibliography

1970: American Paintings and Sculpture: An Illustrated Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1970: 148, repro., as Portrait of a Man.

1980: American Paintings: An Illustrated Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1980: 292, repro., as Portrait of a Man.

1984: Walker, John. National Gallery of Art, Washington. Rev. ed. New York, 1984: 538, no. 810, color repro., as Portrait of a Man.

1992: American Paintings: An Illustrated Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1992: 417, repro.

1992: Chotner, Deborah, with contributions by Julie Aronson, Sarah D. Cash, and Laurie Weitzenkorn. American Naive Paintings. The Collections of the National Gallery of Art Systematic Catalogue. Washington, D.C., 1992: 572-574, color repro. 573.