John Jay
1784-1818
Here sits John Jay, looking every bit the serious Founding Father in his powdered wig and brown coat, casually clutching a piece of paper that likely represents one of the many treaties he negotiated. Gilbert Stuart, the same artist who painted the George Washington on the dollar bill, used a dramatic red curtain and a stack of books to signal that Jay was both powerful and intellectual. Stuart was the ultimate celebrity portraitist of the early American republic, and he made sure to capture Jay’s calm authority as he lounges in a fancy gilded chair.
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