James Barton Longacre, 11 Aug 1794 - 1 - James Barton Longacre Self-Portrait - c. 1807 - T-Shirt

A small watercolour bust of a young man with cropped fair hair and a gold neckcloth, set in the upper centre of a large pale sheet and catalogued as a self-portrait by James Barton Longacre.

Visual Elements & Composition

Cream paper dominates the design, leaving wide empty margins on every side of the figure. The head and shoulders sit in the upper centre, worked in thin watercolour with soft dusty-rose warmth on the cheeks and fine pencil-like strokes in the hair. A warm grey-brown coat with a dark collar sits over a grey waistcoat, and a pale straw neckcloth is tied at the throat. The figure fades into the paper at the base of the shoulders, so the image never forms a hard edge.

Meaning & Symbolism

The sitter turns his face to the viewer's right with a level, serious gaze. His plain dress and direct, unflattering turn of the head present a self-account rather than a display of status. The modest scale and the open expanse of paper give the study a quiet, private character. The record dates the sheet to c. 1807, placing it in Longacre's early years, before he became known for engraved and drawn portraits. James Barton Longacre (1794-1869) was an American engraver and draughtsman, and he later served as Chief Engraver of the U.S. Mint from 1844. This early study shows the careful observation of the head that underpinned that later work.

Printed on the Tee

A portrait this small and this quiet suits a garment worn close to the body. The bust is centred on the chest, so the sitter's gaze meets whoever is looking at the wearer, and the empty paper around him reads as breathing room on the shirt itself. Wear it the way the artist drew himself: plain, direct, and unhurried.