Old World Portraits
Portrait of Samuel Reuss
Peter Michal Bohúň
A dignified 19th-century portrait of a scholar in traditional clerical attire, rendered with fine detail.
Reverend Joseph Sewall
John Smibert
1735 · Oil Paint, Canvas
An elegant 18th-century portrait of Reverend Joseph Sewall by John Smibert, featuring a dignified subject within a feigned oval frame.
$243
For the selected configuration
From $129
3 frame sizes
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Frame color
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Made to order in ~2 business days · Free U.S. standard shipping (typically 5–8 business days after dispatch)
Where it works
A quiet, grounding work with warm, lived-in color — sits comfortably in a more formal setting.
- Often works in
- Dining Room · Study · Library
- Placement
- Reads naturally where the wall has more height than width
- Walls
- Benefits from light or mid-tone surroundings
- Color notes
- Charcoal black, Rich brown
About the piece
This formal portrait by John Smibert captures Reverend Joseph Sewall with the dignity and restraint characteristic of early American colonial art. Painted around 1735, the work utilizes a feigned oval—a common artistic device of the period—to frame the subject, who is depicted in black clerical attire with traditional white bands. The deep, tonal palette and soft lighting create a scholarly and contemplative atmosphere, making it a sophisticated addition to a traditional study or library.
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