A Gentleman at Breakfast

Artist Henry Walton (British, 1746-1813)

Place of OriginEngland

Dateabout 1775-1780

DimensionsH: 25 in. (63.5 cm); W: 30 3/8 in. (77.2 cm)

MediumOil on canvas

ClassificationPaintings

Credit LineGift of an anonymous donor

Object number

1956.77

On View

Toledo Museum of Art (2445 Monroe Street), Gallery, 27

Label TextCasual with his outstretched legs and crossed feet and morning newspaper draped over his lap, the young gentleman depicted in this painting seems ready for a day of leisurely pursuits. He has apparently lingered with the family dog after his breakfast companion has already left the table (the table is set for two). Or is he there early? The freely painted clothes, face, and hair of the figure are characteristic of the style of Henry Walton, a British painter of scenes of everyday life, and have led to the painting being attributed to him. On a side note, this painting is the earliest visual evidence of the Chinese Chow Chow breed of dog in England.Published ReferencesWilenski, R. H., English Painting, London, 1933, p. 73, pl. 12a (as by Benjamin Wilson).

Iverson, Marion Day, "Slipcovers of Past Centuries," Antiques, vol. 60, Oct. 1951, p. 310, repr.

"Accessions of American and Canadian Museums, April-June, 1957," Art Quarterly, vol. XX, no. 3, Autumn 1957, p. 318, repr. p. 321.

Rogers, M.F., Jr., "Gentlemen and Gentry," Toledo Museum of Art Museum News, III, no. 2, 1960, pp. 30-31, repr. p. 32 (as by Benjamin Wilson).

Davidson, Marshall, The American Heritage History of Colonial Antiques, New York, 1967, repr. p. 292, fig. 472.

Bishop, Robert, Centuries and Styles of the American Chair 1640-1970, New York, 1972, repr. p. 170.

Toledo Museum of Art, The Toledo Museum of Art, European Paintings, Toledo, 1976, p. 166, pl. 318.

Von Rosenstiel, Helene, American Rugs and Carpets, New York, 1978, repr. p. 117.

Thornton, Peter K., Authentic Decor: The Domestic Interior 1620-1920, New York, 1984, p. 161, fig. 196 (col.).

Thornton, Peter, "Regards d'epoque," Connaissance Des Arts, no. 405, Nov. 1985, p. 80, repr. (col.).

"The Regency Morning Room," Times Past, vol. 5, part 62, repr. (col.), p. 1469.

Gore, Alan and Ann, The History of English Interiors, Oxford, 1991, p. 93, fig. 110.

Linley, David, Classical Furniture, London, 1993, repr. p. 60 (col.).

Truman, Charles, Sotheby's Concise Encyclopedia of Silver, London, 1993, no. 103, repr. (col.).

Taylor, Bradley L., "The Effect of Surrogation on Viewer Response to Expressional Qualities in Works of Art," unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, University of Michigan, 2001, p. 78, pl. G1, p. 174.

Gilbert, Christopher, James Lomax, and Anthony Wells-Cole, Country House Floors 1660-1850, Leeds City Art Galleries, Leeds, 1987, repr. (col.) cover (not in exhibition).

Rybcaynski, Witold, The Look of Architecture, New York, Oxford University Press, 2001, pp. 19, 21, fig. 5, p. 20.

Exhibition HistoryDetroit Institute of Arts, English Conversation Pieces of the 18th Century, 1948, no. 28, (as by Benjamin Wilson).

Ann Arbor, University of Michigan Museum, 1958-1959.