Lady with a Dog

Mather Brown

1786 · Oil on canvas · The American Wing

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.

Artist

Mather Brown

Date

1786

Medium

Oil on canvas

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Purchase, The Bertram F. and Susie Brummer Foundation Inc. Gift, 1964