Watercolor portrait of James Forten

What it is

This is a watercolor profile portrait showing a man with short dark hair and dark side-whiskers, wearing a dark coat and white neckcloth. It is believed to have been painted during James Forten's lifetime and is probably the work of Robert Douglass Jr. It is held by the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

Why it matters

Contemporary portraits of African American leaders from this period are rare. This image is considered a rare likeness made while Forten, a businessman and abolitionist, was alive, giving historians a visual record from his own era rather than a later imagined one.

Look closer

• What does the man's clothing and pose suggest about his social standing?
• Why might so few portraits of African American leaders from this era survive?
• What can and can't a profile portrait tell us about a person's life?