Portrait of Gedney Bunce

Robert Frederick Blum's ink sketch captures Gedney Bunce in profile, rendered with the loose, economical line work characteristic of late-nineteenth-century American illustration. Bunce's wavy hair and distinctive facial features emerge through quick, confident strokes, while heavy cross-hatching defines the collar and shoulder. The drawing exemplifies the portrait studies that trained illustrators produced for publication and private commission. Blum, a leading figure in American illustration, worked across magazines, newspapers, and books during the 1880s–1890s, when commercial illustration reached new technical and artistic heights.