Getty Museum
Portrait of a Gentleman
Creator
M. A. RootAmerican Daguerreotypist · 1808–1888
All works by this person →Before learning the daguerreotype process in Philadelphia around 1843, Marcus Aurelius Root studied painting and taught penmanship. The following year he became a partner in daguerreotype studios in Mobile, Alabama, and New Orleans. He later became a partner in Saint Louis, Missouri, and Philadelphia studios. In 1846 Root purchased John Jabez Mayall's studio in Philadelphia. Three years later, in
More on Getty ULAN- Date
- about 1846
- Medium
- Daguerreotype, hand-colored
- Culture
- American
- Department
- Photographs
- Institution
- Getty Museum
This image of a well-dressed man reveals special attention to the traditional guidelines for good portraiture. He stands straight in a three-quarter pose from the waist up, gazing studiously just out of camera range, his left hand thrust inside his topcoat. Aided by carefully controlled lighting, the image emphasizes the man's intense eyes as a means of displaying his intellectual and moral character. The photograph thus exemplifies the idea that the human face is the mirror of the soul.
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