Unidentified profile portrait, older man facing left 1773 - 1820

This anonymous silhouette portrait from the early 19th century depicts an older man in profile view, facing left. The work is a prime example of the silhouette portrait, a popular art form in the 18th and 19th centuries, where the subject's form is cut from paper or card and mounted on a contrasting background. The silhouette style, emphasizing outlines and negative space, became a popular way to capture likenesses in a time before photography. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York houses this intriguing portrait, a reminder of a bygone era in artistic representation.