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Thomas Jefferson

John Trumbull American
1788
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 758
Connecticut-born, England-trained Trumbull became the leading chronicler of U.S. independence after the war, in which he had served as aide-de-camp to George Washington. Trumbull met Thomas Jefferson in London in 1785. Jefferson, then America’s minister to France, invited the artist to be his guest in Paris in 1786 and 1787. On the second visit, Trumbull painted the statesman directly from life for his painting, The Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776 (Yale University Art Gallery)—an engraving of which hangs nearby. This small oil portrait, painted from that famous composition, was made for Jefferson’s London-based friend Angelica Schuyler Church.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Thomas Jefferson
  • Artist: John Trumbull (American, Lebanon, Connecticut 1756–1843 New York)
  • Date: 1788
  • Culture: American
  • Medium: Oil on mahogany
  • Dimensions: 4 1/2 x 3 1/4 in. (11.4 x 8.3 cm)
  • Credit Line: Bequest of Cornelia Cruger, 1923
  • Object Number: 24.19.1
  • Curatorial Department: The American Wing

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