Portrait of a Man 1817 - 1820

This is Samuel Lovett Waldo's "Portrait of a Man," likely painted in the early to mid-19th century. Waldo was a successful portrait painter, capturing the likenesses of New York's elite. This portrait is a window into the visual culture of the time, revealing how men of a certain social standing wished to be seen. We see him holding a book, which signals learning and sophistication, aspects of identity highly prized. His dress, while somber, speaks to a certain level of economic comfort. There is an interesting tension between the man's direct gaze and the almost romantic looseness of Waldo's brushwork. While the conventions of portraiture often upheld social hierarchies, the emotional accessibility Waldo achieves offers a counterpoint. In its quiet way, the painting reflects the aspirations and self-conceptions of a particular class during a period of significant social and economic change in America.