Edwin Booth
Object Description
Booth was one of the most famous actors in 19th-century America. Today, however, he is best known as the brother of John Wilkes Booth, the man who assassinated President Lincoln. Edwin was not involved in the assassination, but it damaged his reputation and forced him to temporarily give up acting. He eventually resumed his career, re-establishing himself through his acclaimed performances of the role of Shakespeare’s Hamlet.
This portrait was commissioned shortly after Edwin founded The Players, an elite social club in New York City. Sargent portrays Booth inside the club’s great hall, where he is flanked by a large fireplace. Facing the viewer, Booth stands as if about to deliver a monologue. Yet he seems preoccupied. His gaze is detached, and heavy shadows lid his eyes. Fading embers gleam in the fireplace, an allusion, perhaps, to the inevitable end of Booth’s storied career.
—Text taken from the Carter Handbook (2023)
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Teacher Resources
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What is the purpose of a portrait?
How might the background, clothes, facial expression, and body language depicted in a portrait reveal something about the sitter?
What strategies can an artist use to make a subject appear significant or impressive?
To what extent does the relevance of an icon remain outside of its own time?
How do works of art serve as records of history, even if they do not specifically reference historical events?
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Grades 9–12
How would you describe the person you see here? Based upon these observations, what assumptions might be made about him?
Does this portrait include hints about the man’s profession? Direct students to look closely at the items in the background, including the medallion on the fireplace. For the ability to zoom-in closely, please see the Carter’s collection on Google Arts and Culture.
Edwin Booth was a celebrated American actor, but his theatrical achievements are often overshadowed by the infamy of his brother John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of President Abraham Lincoln. How does this information change the way you look at this portrait, if at all?
This painting was made in the twilight of Booth’s career, after his peak of fame and the assassination. Look closely at Booth’s facial expression, stance, and the setting he is placed in. What choices did the artist make to show Booth as an important figure nearing the end of his career?
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Grades 9–12
Have students select a portrait of a present-day celebrity. Each student should answer the following questions. What do we learn about the subject from this portrait? What makes the portrait successful? What elements are timeless? What elements may be unfamiliar or dated to future generations?
All Levels
Activity 1
Have each student create a self-portrait to hang in a museum 100 years from now. Ask students to consider the following. What would they wear? How would they pose? What would be the setting of their portrait? Students may sketch their portrait or create a photographic self-portrait.Activity 2
On a large piece of paper have students draw or trace an outline of themselves (students may need to work in pairs or with a teacher for tracing). In the background, ask students to fill in the setting and/or include items that tell an autobiographical story.