Portrait of Mr. Sutcliffe

This portrait is one of two of the sitter recorded in the literature. The other was recently sold in the New York auction market. The history of the sitter for the portrait is not known and, although he does not rank with the major political and intellectual leaders of the young nation, Stuart’s depiction of him is no less sensitive. The subject is seated in an upholstered armchair covered in green velvet. Mr. Sutcliffe, who wears a reddish-brown waistcoat, holds a letter in his left hand.

Stuart worked in London, Dublin, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, DC, and Boston. He sealed his reputation as one of America’s finest artists of the early national era beginning in the 1790s through portraits of George Washington, one of which is part of The Museum’s collection. The artist executed more than 1,100 portraits over the course of his career.