Member of the Yates Family

Unidentified · ca. 1780

Mr. Yates’s hair, with its two curls above each ear, reflects the style of the late eighteenth century when men made the transition from wigs to their own, often powdered, hair. The sitter’s elongated nose, thin lips, sad eyes, and weak jawline give him a feeble appearance, and he may have chosen to wear a vibrantly colored coat in his portrait to compensate for these timid features.