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Catalog Data

Artist:
Gilbert Stuart, 3 Dec 1755 - 9 Jul 1828  Search this
John Trumbull, 6 Jun 1756 - 10 Nov 1843  Search this
Sitter:
John Jay, 12 Dec 1745 - 17 May 1829  Search this
Medium:
Oil on canvas
Dimensions:
Other: 128.3 x 101.6cm (50 1/2 x 40")
Frame: 150.5 x 122.6 x 12.1cm (59 1/4 x 48 1/4 x 4 3/4")
Type:
Painting
Date:
begun 1784; completed by 1818
Exhibition Label:
Born New York City
John Jay played a formative role in the founding of the United States. After helping to negotiate the treaty that ended the Revolutionary War, he served as secretary of foreign affairs (1784–89) and first chief justice of the United States (1789–95). An advocate for a strong national government, Jay co-authored (with Alexander Hamilton and James Madison) the Federalist Papers (1787–88), a collection of essays that promoted the ratification of the U.S. Constitution.
In 1794, when war with England threatened, Chief Justice Jay went to London to defuse the crisis. Accompanying him as secretary was the artist John Trumbull who, after returning home in 1804, completed this portrait, which was left unfinished in 1784 by Gilbert Stuart. Although the treaty Jay negotiated in London was violently criticized as a return to English dominance,
John Jay 1745–1829
Nacido en la Ciudad de Nueva York
John Jay tuvo un papel formativo en la fundación de Estados Unidos. Luego de ayudar a negociar el tratado que puso fin a la Guerra de Independencia, fue secretario de asuntos exteriores (1784–89) y primer juez presidente del Tribunal Supremo (1789– 95). Propulsor de un gobierno nacional fuerte, fue coautor (con Alexander Hamilton y James Madison) de los “Artículos del Federalista” (1787–88), una colección de ensayos que promovía la ratificación de la Constitución de EE.UU.
En 1794, ante la amenaza de una guerra con Inglaterra, Jay fue a Londres para apaciguar la crisis. Lo acompañó como secretario el artista John Trumbull, quien al regresar a América en 1804 completó este retrato, dejado inconcluso en 1784 por Gilbert Stuart. Aunque el controversial tratado que negoció Jay en Londres, conocido como el Tratado Jay, fue agriamente criticado como un regreso al dominio inglés, logró evitar una guerra que la joven república no estaba lista para librar.
Provenance:
John Jay, Williamstown, Mass.; purchased 1974 NPG
Topic:
Interior  Search this
Printed Material\Book  Search this
Printed Material\Document  Search this
John Jay: Male  Search this
John Jay: Law and Crime\Lawyer  Search this
John Jay: Literature\Writer  Search this
John Jay: Politics and Government\Congressman\Continental congressman  Search this
John Jay: Politics and Government\Governor\New York  Search this
John Jay: Law and Crime\Judge\Justice\US Supreme Court Justice\Chief Justice of US  Search this
Portrait  Search this
Credit Line:
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
Object number:
NPG.74.46
Restrictions & Rights:
CC0
See more items in:
National Portrait Gallery Collection
Exhibition:
Out of Many: Portraits from 1600 to 1900
On View:
NPG, East Gallery 140
Data Source:
National Portrait Gallery
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm4d7bc8a8b-63f8-42ff-bab8-dc9203dd2b2a
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:npg_NPG.74.46