Portrait of a Gentleman

James M. Pearce, n.d. · 19th century

Although this piece is unsigned, the pronounced cross-hatching in the background, the vague sense of clouds behind the man’s head, and the shorthand strokes that create the edges of his necktie are all characteristics of the work of James M. Pearce. The intertwined initials “WC” on the back of the locket are the only clue to the sitter’s identity.