Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams
Mrs. John Quincy Adams
Meet the only First Lady born outside the United States until Melania Trump! Gilbert Stuart, the same artist who painted George Washington's face on the dollar bill, captured Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams here looking quite elegant in her elaborate lace bonnet and striking red shawl. Despite the calm, composed look on her face, her life was actually full of drama—she once traveled all the way from Russia to Paris in the middle of winter with her young son to join her husband. Stuart's brushwork here is classic Neoclassical portraiture, focusing on her gentle expression and the rich textures of her clothing against a dark, moody background.