A Young Boston Man, 1928

The portrait of this young man is another example of Beauford’s portraiture work during his Boston years, when he was focusing on his figurative and representational skills. In every Boston portrait included in this exhibit, the facial features and expressions on the subjects are realistic and finely detailed. However, as Beauford moved down the subject’s neck and torso, he became less exacting in his work. The suit jackets and ties of the three men in the portraits have a sketch-like quality to them, quick and gestural. Beauford was mainly concerned with capturing the facial profiles of these subjects, practicing the lessons he was receiving at the Massachusetts Normal School, the Copley Society and the South Boston School of Art.