Oil on canvas (lined), signed and dated 1893 at upper right, faintly inscribed "Napoleon Hill" to verso of lining, presented in a period frame.

Stretcher size 34 x 28 in.; Frame dimensions 40 x 35 in.

Napoleon Hill (1830-1909) was a prominent and prosperous merchant in Memphis, Tennessee. He inherited money from his father, but made his first fortune on his own in the California Gold Rush. Hill finally settled in Memphis where he was active in the cotton and wholesale grocery trade. He also invested in banking, real estate, steel industries, and more.

W. H. M. Cox was a portrait artist working in Richmond, Virginia in the late 19th century. His portraits of Fitzhugh Lee and Philip W. McKinney hung in the Virginia Capitol.

Stable craquelure; faint stretcher marks; several varnish drips to man's jacket; minor loss and retouch to frame.