Commodore John Barry
Medium
graphite on wove paper
Dimensions
image (irregular): 8.57 × 8.26 cm (3 3/8 × 3 1/4 in.) sheet: 15.88 × 14.45 cm (6 1/4 × 5 11/16 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Corcoran Collection (Museum Purchase, Membership Association Fund)
Accession Number
2015.19.751
Art Historical Context
Behold *Commodore John Barry*, a delicate graphite drawing by Asher B. Durand from 1830, now housed in the National Gallery of Art as part of the Corcoran Collection. This intimate portrait captures the likeness of John Barry, the Irish-born naval hero revered as the "Father of American Navy" for his daring exploits during the Revolutionary War, including commanding the first U.S. naval vessel authorized by Congress. Created on smooth wove paper—a favored support for precise pencil work in the early 19th century—Durand's modest 3⅜ × 3¼-inch image (irregularly shaped on a larger 6¼ × 5⅞-inch s...
About the Artist
Asher Brown Durand · 1796–1886
Was a principal member of the Hudson River School. American artist; associated with the Hudson River School of landscape painting. Comment on works: Portraits