John Wollaston
John Wollaston was born in London. His father was a portrait painter, and he trained with “a noted drapery painter in London.” In 1749 he went to New York City, where he began painting fashionable, British-style portraits for wealthy Americans. Wollaston stayed in the colonies for 18 years, painting portraits in New York, Philadelphia, Annapolis, Virginia, and Charleston, making him the most widely traveled painter in colonial America.
What parts of an identity do portraits capture?
Like many artists working in America, Wollaston used English aristocratic portraits as source material. He was able to draw from his firsthand experiences in London and from the English mezzotint engravings that were brought to the colonies. His portraits are characterized by relaxed poses, natural settings, shimmering fabrics, and distinctive almond-shaped eyes. This portrait depicts Elizabeth Plumstead, whose father and grandfather both served multiple terms as mayor of Philadelphia.
Gift of Emily Neilson Dodge
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