James Sharples, c. 1751 - 1811 - Alexander Hamilton - c. 1796 - T-Shirt

A strict profile portrait in soft pastel, showing Alexander Hamilton facing left against a deep blue-grey ground.

Visual Elements & Composition

The sitter fills the frame in a clean silhouette, his grey hair drawn back from a high forehead and gathered at the nape. A dark, high collar and plain black coat frame the figure, with a white cravat folded at the throat as the one bright accent. The face is modelled in peach and rose tones, with a firm line along the nose and mouth and a faint smile at the lips. The background is worked in loose strokes that lighten toward the upper right, giving the portrait a sense of air around the head.

Meaning & Symbolism

The portrait follows the formal profile likeness of the late eighteenth century, where a clear outline and sober dress carry the sense of character. The restrained palette and unadorned coat present the sitter as a man of affairs rather than a figure of display. James Sharples (c. 1751-1811) was an English-born portraitist who worked in pastel and oil and spent much of his career in America. Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804) was a central figure in the early years of the United States, and this pastel shows how Sharples adapted the English profile tradition to an American sitter.

Wearing the Portrait

A profile is a shape you read at a glance, and on a tee the image sits across the chest where it can be seen from the front and from across a room. The strong outline of the head and the contrast of the white cravat against the dark coat carry the design at a distance, while the softer modelling of the face rewards a closer look. The measured, reflective bearing of the sitter gives the shirt a quiet presence that suits everyday wear.