Matthew Clarkson

Executed in oil on canvas, the portrait measures 91.6 by 71.8 centimeters, a vertical format well suited to Gilbert Stuart's full-length depiction of Matthew Clarkson. The painting falls within the genre of portraiture and belongs to the Metropolitan Museum of Art's American Wing collection. Stuart renders the sitter in a chapeau-bras and uniform, incorporating a sword as part of the formal attire, details consistent with his late-eighteenth-century practice of combining precise costume description with a measured, dignified characterization of the subject.

The portrait of Matthew Clarkson was created by Gilbert Stuart in 1794, executed in oil on canvas. The work entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is classified within The American Wing. Beyond these core details, artist, date, medium, and current institutional home, the available sources do not document the chain of prior ownership, the circumstances of commissioning, or any intermediate custodial history preceding its accession by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The portrait of Matthew Clarkson by Gilbert Stuart is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, classified within the institution's American Wing. According to the Wikidata record for the painting, its physical dimensions are 91.6 cm in height by 71.8 cm in width. The work was created in 1794 and is catalogued as part of the museum's holdings. No specific accession number, inventory identifier, or exhibition history is documented in the available sources.

Matthew Clarkson, a prominent figure in early American public life, is depicted in this oil-on-canvas portrait by Gilbert Stuart. Created around 1794, shortly after Stuart's return from Europe, the work captures Clarkson as a distinguished gentleman. The painting exemplifies Stuart's developing American style, blending a refined, aristocratic sensibility with a direct and honest portrayal of the sitter. It is housed in The American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The creation of this portrait highlights the intersection of early national political culture and the visual representation of reputation in America. As a celebrated veteran, financier, and social reformer, Clarkson represented the type of accomplished individual who sought portraiture to affirm their public standing. Such commissions were crucial for Gilbert Stuart, helping him build the successful American practice that would soon lead to his renowned series of portraits of figures like George Washington.