Colonial & Federal Period

In 1607, religious and political unrest brought the first English settlers to Jamestown, Virginia. Although North America could provide religious freedom, it also demanded a new way of life. The demands of everyday life delayed the introduction of art into American culture for generations. Portraiture, which was highly regarded at the English court, appeared in America about 1665. In the eighteenth century, the growing demand for portraiture gave rise to a group of well-known and successful portraitists, including John Smibert, Joseph Badger, John Singleton Copley, Ralph Earl, and Charles Willson Peale.

After the American Revolution, America adjusted to its new identity as an independent nation. Portraiture, rendered in a realistic or romantic style, remained the principal art form and often focused on reverence to the founding fathers. As wealth and social status became more established, the demand for portraits increased dramatically and was met by such artists as Mather, John Trumbull, Samuel F.B. Morse, and Gilbert Stuart.