Portrait of a Man 1847 - 1850

Thomas Hicks painted this portrait of an unknown man in the United States, probably in the mid-19th century. It depicts a man of means, dressed in a fine suit, with a patterned waistcoat and dark green bow tie. The portrait reminds us that in the 1800s, as today, clothing and appearance signaled social status. But here, the sitter’s serious expression and averted gaze suggest that Hicks aimed to capture not just the man’s appearance, but also his inner character. Hicks’ training in the academies of Paris and New York taught him a great deal about accurately capturing likenesses, but those institutions also encouraged artists to present their subjects as moral exemplars. To better understand this painting, we might research the dress codes of the time, or the period’s changing ideas about masculinity. Ultimately, art is contingent on its historical context and on the institutions that shape it.