Catherine Brower
1791
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
overall: 115.6 x 70.2 cm (45 1/2 x 27 5/8 in.) framed: 129.5 x 84.4 x 3.8 cm (51 x 33 1/4 x 1 1/2 in.)
Classification
Painting
Department
CAB
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch
Accession Number
1956.13.5
Art Historical Context
This portrait of Catherine Brow, painted in 1791 by the artist MacKay, offers a glimpse into early American life just a few years after the nation’s founding. Rendered oil on canvas, the work follows the tradition of formal portraiture popular in the late eighteenth century, when such images served to document individuals and affirm their place in a rapidly changing society. Measuring roughly 45 by 27 inches, the painting’s scale suggests it was designed for display in a domestic or public setting. MacKay’s approach reflects the straightforward style common among American painters of the peri...