John Murray
ca. 1806
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
30 x 24 in. (76.2 x 61 cm)
Classification
Painting
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Morris K. Jesup Fund, 1922
Accession Number
22.76.1
Tags
Art Historical Context
John Trumbull's *John Murray* (ca. 1806) is a compelling oil-on-canvas portrait capturing the dignified likeness of its sitter, a man whose steady gaze and formal attire reflect the poised demeanor of early American gentry. Measuring 30 x 24 inches, this exemplifies Trumbull's as one of America's foremost Neoclassical painters. Trained in London under Benjamin West, Trumbull brought a refined European technique to his portraits, blending sharp realism with subtle psychological insight—hallmarks of his style seen in his famous Revolutionary War history paintings like *The Declaration of Indepen...
About the Artist
John Trumbull · 1756–1843
John Trumbull, born on June 6, 1756, in Lebanon, Connecticut, to prominent Puritan descendants, grew up in a politically influential family as the son of Jonathan Trumbull, Connecticut's governor from 1769 to 1784, and Faith Robinson Trumbull. His brothers included Joseph, the Continental Army's first commissary general, and Jonathan Jr., Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. A childhood a...