John Bill Ricketts 1795 - 1799

Gilbert Stuart painted this unfinished oil on canvas of John Bill Ricketts at an unknown date. It shows a man and horse against a pale background. Ricketts was an English circus owner who brought equestrian entertainment to the United States in the 1790s. This portrait gives us insight into the cultural milieu of the Early Republic, when popular entertainment began to flourish in cities like Philadelphia and New York. Stuart, who had trained in London, brings to bear the traditions of European portraiture, but in a distinctly American context. It might be easy to see this painting as merely a representation of a famous person, but consider the social conditions that made this image possible. As historians, we can research newspapers, city directories, and other records to understand the nature of the circus, its audience, and its place in the culture of the time. The meaning of this artwork is contingent on the culture that surrounds it.