Lady with a Dog

Mather Brown American
1786
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 774
The first American artist to enroll in the Royal Academy, London, Brown also studied under his compatriots Gilbert Stuart and Benjamin West. Brown remained in London for much of his career and enjoyed the peak of his success during the late 1780s, at about the time he painted this elaborate portrait. Like Copley, whose work he emulated, Brown surrounds his sitter’s sharply defined face with loosely painted clothing, props, and background effects. He was well known for his complex portrayal of fabrics, as in ample evidence here.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Lady with a Dog
  • Artist: Mather Brown (American, Boston, Massachusetts 1761–1831 London)
  • Date: 1786
  • Culture: American
  • Medium: Oil on canvas
  • Dimensions: 49 1/2 x 39 1/2 in. (125.7 x 100.3 cm)
  • Credit Line: Purchase, The Bertram F. and Susie Brummer Foundation Inc. Gift, 1964
  • Object Number: 64.129
  • Curatorial Department: The American Wing

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