Charles Oliver O'Donnell

William Henry Rinehart, born Union Bridge, MD 1825-died Rome, Italy 1874 · 1867

Charles Oliver O’Donnell was a successful merchant in Baltimore, Maryland. It is likely that he commissioned this portrait while in Rome visiting William Henry Rinehart’s studio, a popular stop for many wealthy Americans. Rinehart created this sculpture in the style of Roman portraiture, but O’Donnell’s stern features and groomed mustache reflected his status as a nineteenth-century baron of American capitalism.