Unidentified Gentleman
Thomas Ball American
This oval portrait of an unknown sitter is one for only a few relief compositions that Ball executed during his long career. The middle-aged and bearded sitter, who appears in contemporary dress, was most likely one of many visitors to the Villa Ball in Florence. So far it has not been possible to match the face to a name recorded in Ball’s guest book (Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.).