The artwork, titled “Dr. Oscar Fitzland Potter,” was masterfully created by the artist George Caleb Bingham in 1848. Rendered in oil on canvas, the piece belongs to the art movements of Romanticism and Naïve Art (Primitivism). It is a portrait genre artwork currently located at the Saint Louis Art Museum in St. Louis, Missouri, USA.
The artwork portrays a young, distinguished man, presumably Dr. Oscar Fitzland Potter, gazing directly at the viewer with an air of calm confidence. He is attired in formal period clothing, including a black coat and a neatly tied bowtie, complemented by a pristine white shirt. The background is a subdued, dark, gradient hue that draws focus to the subject’s face and upper body. The detailed and expressive brushwork, characteristic of Bingham’s style, captures the sitter’s contemplative and dignified demeanor, reflecting the Romanticism movement’s emphasis on individual personality and emotion, as well as Naïve Art’s straightforward and sincere aesthetic qualities.
