Elizabeth Beltzhoover Mason

c. 1803–5

Gilbert Stuart

(American, 1755–1828)

Culture

America

Medium

oil on canvas

Measurements

Framed: 90 x 78 x 8 cm (35 7/16 x 30 11/16 x 3 1/8 in.); Unframed: 73.8 x 61 cm (29 1/16 x 24 in.)

Credit Line

Gift from J. H. Wade 1921.428

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Location

204 Colonial American

Did You Know?

Stuart also painted a portrait of George Washington, now immortalized on the dollar bill.

Description

The sitter’s high-waisted dress, pearl necklace, and elegant hairstyle of cascading ringlets reflect the height of fashion around 1800. Her gaze is assured: her chin is tilted upward but her eyes peer down with confidence. Mason’s husband was a prosperous lawyer, an influential figure in President Thomas Jefferson’s administration, and a plantation owner in Maryland. According to an inventory from 1807, the couple enslaved approximately 185 people, ranging from the newborn Abraham to 79-year-old Rachel. The family’s wealth afforded Mason the opportunity to be painted by Gilbert Stuart, a much sought-after portraitist.