Portrait of John Vaughan 1793 - 1797

Gilbert Stuart painted this portrait of John Vaughan with oil on canvas in the late 18th or early 19th century. Born in Rhode Island, Stuart spent time in Britain where he was influenced by British portraiture and especially by the work of Thomas Gainsborough. In the newly formed United States, portraiture became a popular way to display status. It was a status that reflected the new meritocracy, rather than inherited titles. Vaughan was a merchant, lawyer, and intellectual. He wears a dark blue coat, a ruffled white cravat and powdered wig, all conveying wealth and status. Stuart painted presidents, aristocrats and merchants who made up the new American elite. He helped to define the image of the new republic's ruling class. Art historians look at letters, diaries, newspapers and financial records to understand the context in which art is made and received, so that we can reflect on the social role of art.