James Barton Longacre, 11 Aug 1794 - 1 - James Barton Longacre - c. 1845 - T-Shirt

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James Barton Longacre, 11 Aug 1794 - 1 - James Barton Longacre - c. 1845 - T-Shirt

A seated older man with white hair holds a slender pencil over a sheet of paper in this coloured crayon portrait of the engraver James Barton Longacre.

Visual Elements & Composition

The figure sits in three-quarter view, filling a tall vertical field. His dark coat dominates the lower half and sets off a white stock with softly pleated front. A draped curtain in warm tan falls at the left and is caught back with a white rosette-like flower, while a chair back appears at the right. The background is a dark ground built from diagonal hatching, and the palette runs from charcoal brown and near black to pale ochre and ivory. Nothing in the image carries lettering or numerals; the composition relies on the pencil, the paper and the sitter's steady gaze.

Meaning & Symbolism

The pencil and the working surface carry the meaning here. A man shown with a drawing tool and paper is a conventional way of identifying a draughtsman at work, and the catalogue record names the sitter as James Barton Longacre, so the image presents the artist himself. Longacre (1794-1869) was an American engraver and draughtsman known for engraved portraits of prominent Americans, and for his long service as Chief Engraver of the U.S. Mint from 1844. This crayon portrait, dating from around 1845, shows him in the act of his trade, composed and dignified, in a sober dress that suited his professional standing.

Made for the Tee

A portrait built around a single seated figure suits the front of a tee, where the sitter can be seen at full height and the composition reads from across the room. The pencil and paper sit at the centre of the wearer's chest, so the drawing reads as a deliberate, calm image rather than a busy pattern. The same quiet palette of browns and ivory that gives the original its warmth works against the black of the coat, and the portrait keeps its dignity on a garment worn every day.

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