A New York lawyer, John Jay served in the First and Second Continental Congresses, and in 1779 he was appointed minister plenipotentiary to Spain. He was one of the negotiators of the Treaty of Paris, which ended the American Revolution. On a visit to London he commissioned the young American artist Gilbert Stuart to paint his portrait. There were to be two versions, one for himself, and the other a gift for his political ally William Bingham. Stuart, however, finished only the heads, and the portraits were later completed by another American artist, John Trumbull. After Stuart arrived in New York in 1793, he painted a new portrait of Jay as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Jay served as Chief Justice until he was elected governor of New York in 1795.

Gilbert Stuart (1755-1828) and John Trumbull (1756-1843)
Oil on canvas, begun in 1784; completed by 1818
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
NPG.74.46

Enlarged image

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