Elderly man in a dark coat seated with his hand on his head beside a white plaster bust on a desk, with bookshelves behind him.

A Phrenologist Comparing His Head with a Phrenological Bust

An elderly man in a dark coat and cream waistcoat sits with one hand raised to his head, gazing sideways beside a white plaster phrenological bust on a cluttered desk. Behind him, shelves of leather-bound books and a brass candelabrum furnish a warm, dim study in this oil painting.

Artist: Holden, Albert William, 1848-1932.
Date: [1900?]
Medium: Oil paintings Paintings
Source: Wellcome Collection
Size: 3262 × 4000 px

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Public domain · Wellcome Collection marks it Public Domain Mark; made by 1910.
Rights checked 2026-11-05 · tier A · as stated by the source: Public Domain Mark (Wellcome Collection)

Credit (appreciated, not required for public-domain works): Wellcome Collection

19th century portrait oil painting phrenology seated man scholar study interior bookshelves candelabrum albert holden phrenological bust british painting