Unidentified Man
c. 1835-44
Medium
Drawing
Classification
Drawing
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of Sally Adler with heartfelt gratitude to Emma Joy Linen Dana, George L. Linenâs great-granddaughter, and her four devoted sons, Richard, John, Andrew, and Gordon
Accession Number
S/NPG.2018.8.21
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold the poignant portrait *Unidentified Man*, a delicate drawing by George Linen (1802–1888), around 1835–1844. This intimate work captures an anonymous sitter in what appears to be a moment of quiet dignity, rendered in the artist's skilled hand during America's antebellum era. Linen, active in the early 19th century, contributed to the burgeoning tradition of portraiture that democratized likenesses for everyday Americans, preserving personal histories amid rapid social change. As a drawing—likely executed in pencil or ink on paper—this piece exemplifies the medium's virtues: its immedia...