John Ritto Penniman
Henry Nolen, about 1828–30

Technical Notes
The support is a tangentially cut basswood panel with a slight convex warp. The surface of the panel is lightly scored to resemble twill fabric, and the back is coated with a dark reddish-brown stain. The panel appears to have been cut down on the bottom and right edges after the painting was completed. Evidence of that reduction is found in the way that paint extends over the top and left edges, but the bottom and left edges are crisp and have no paint on them. There are small losses in the paint and ground layers along the cut edges of the panel, which possibly resulted from cutting.

The greenish-gray ground layer shows through the paint layers in some places, such as in the shadows of the face and collar and in some parts of the background.

Penniman painted the portrait thinly and applied glazes in the flesh tones and coat. The painting appears to have been first laid in with large areas of thinly applied paint. These areas were further developed with thin wet-on-wet applications of paint that describe shapes, contours, and lines. Final details were not blended with the underlying paint and were likely applied wet-on-dry. The coat was painted with black and blue glazes, and the background appears to have been finished with a brown glaze.

There are some subtle pentimenti throughout the painting. Changes were made to the bridge of the nose, the top of the lips, and the hairline. The proper right eye was moved up slightly from its original position. Contour adjustments are also visible on the shirt collar and coat.

The painting has minor scattered losses, mostly in the background and the bottom right area of the coat. There is also a scratch on the sitter’s proper left shoulder. Evidence of solvent damage to the paint glazes is visible throughout the head and background. The surface coating appears to be a synthetic resin varnish.

Frame Notes
The frame consists of a wide, unadorned, gilded softwood molding. The inner edge consists of a narrow scoop, followed by three narrow flat bands that rise in steps to a broad section which angles toward the painting. The outer section consists of a wide scoop that angles downward to the back panel. The bole is gray and the surface appears to be water gilded. The back panel is finished with a dull yellow paint.