The American School

Art Historical Context

**The American School** by Matthew Pratt, painted in 1765, is a captivating oil-on-canvas group portrait (36 x 50¼ inches) that captures the spirit of early American artistry. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum Art's American Wing, work depicts a gathering of male artists—likely Pratt himself—in what appears to be a studio setting. The title evokes the formation of a nascent "American school" of painting during the colonial period, just a decade before the Revolution, showcasing men deeply engaged in their craft. Pratt, a skilled portraitist influenced by his London training, uses the rich tex...