This cabinet card portrait features famous Norwegian-American sculptor Jakob Fjelde (1855-1896). Fjelde is wearing an interesting overcoat with embroidery on it’s shoulders. Perhaps this is a coat that he wore while creating his sculpture. He has a attractive bushy mustache and is holding a half smoked cigar. Fjelde was born in Alesund, Norway and arrived in the United States in 1887. He settled in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He was the father of sculptor Paul Fjelde and brother of artist Pauline Fjelde. Jakob was a prolific portraitist and created a number of public monuments. One of his most well known monuments was one dedicated to the 1st Minnesota Infantry (1897) that is located at the Gettysburg battlefield. Some of his statues in the Minneapolis / St. Paul area include “Hiawatha carrying Minnehaha”, “Minerva”, and “Ole Bull”. In 1885 he sculpted Henrik Ibsen from life and created a number of public statues and busts from the experience. The photographer of this image is the Lee Brothers who operated a studio in Minneapolis. To view more photographs by this photographer, click on the category “Photographer: Lee Bros.”
I believe he is wearing an artist’s smock rather than an overcoat, especially since he is an artist (sculptor).