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The American School

Matthew Pratt American
1765
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 717
The picture depicts a scene in the London studio of Benjamin West, who is generally agreed to be the figure standing at the left. Based on comparisons to self-portraits, Pratt is the man at the easel, an accomplished portrait painter. The identities of the other artists represented in the picture remain uncertain, but they are younger and they draw rather than paint. The composition explores the academic tradition as carried out among Americans in late-eighteenth century London.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: The American School
  • Artist: Matthew Pratt (1734–1805)
  • Date: 1765
  • Culture: American
  • Medium: Oil on canvas
  • Dimensions: 36 x 50 1/4 in. (91.4 x 127.6 cm)
  • Credit Line: Gift of Samuel P. Avery, 1897
  • Object Number: 97.29.3
  • Curatorial Department: The American Wing

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4326. The American School

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Mrs. Peter De Lancey, Matthew Pratt American, Oil on canvas, American
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Cadwallader Colden and His Grandson Warren De Lancey, Matthew Pratt American, Oil on canvas, American
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