John Shaw
1793
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
36 x 28 in. (91.4 x 71.1 cm)
Classification
Painting
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Grima Johnson, 2005
Accession Number
2005.462.1
Tags
Art Historical Context
Gilbert Stuart's *John Shaw* (1793) is a commanding oil-on-canvas portrait that captures the poised elegance of its sitter, a prominent figure in early American society. Measuring 36 x 28 inches, this work exemplifies Stuart's mastery as one of the nation's leading portraitists during the Federal period, a time when the United States was forging its post-Revolutionary identity. Housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's American Wing, it reflects the cultural aspirations of a new republic, where such paintings served as markers of status and refinement. Stuart, who trained in London under inf...
About the Artist
Gilbert Stuart
Gilbert Stuart (1755–1828) was born on December 3, 1755, in Saunderstown, Rhode Island. He received his first painting instruction from local portraitist Samuel King, then studied under Scottish artist Cosmo Alexander who brought him to Scotland in 1771. After Alexander died, Stuart returned to Newport before sailing to London in 1775, where he entered the studio of Benjamin West for approximately...