Gilbert Stuart was the most successful portraitist of early America, demonstrating his tremendous natural talent and wit in the representation of likeness and character. Stuart is known for his portraits of some of the most famous American men and women of his era, particularly those he made of George Washington. In order to master the techniques of late-eighteenth-century English portraiture, Stuart took extended trips to London and Dublin, where this painting was created. He returned to America in 1793, where he spent the rest of his life.