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Primary sourcePainting1786

Joseph Brant by Gilbert Stuart

Gilbert Stuart · 1786

An oil portrait of Joseph Brant painted from life by Gilbert Stuart in 1786, during Brant's second visit to London.

Painted from life in 1786 while Brant lobbied in London for compensation for Mohawk wartime losses.

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Oil painting of a man in profile-leaning three-quarter view against a blue sky with white clouds. He wears a tall red feather plume in a dark banded headdress, a dark jacket, a red blanket-like cloak, and a large white crescent-shaped ornament on his chest.
Gilbert Stuart, Joseph Brant, 1786.

About this source

What it is

This oil portrait of Joseph Brant was painted from life by the American-born artist Gilbert Stuart in 1786.

Brant is shown wearing a red feathered plume, a dark banded headdress, a red cloak and a large crescent-shaped gorget ornament.

Why it matters

Brant sat for Stuart during a second trip to London, where he was lobbying British officials for compensation for Mohawk losses suffered during the American Revolution. The portrait shows Brant continuing to use his image and presence in London to press the Mohawk case for support after the war.

Look closer

  • What does Brant's pose and clothing suggest about how he wanted to be seen by British officials?
  • Why might Brant have sat for another portrait on this later visit?
  • What is missing from the image about the losses Brant was trying to get compensated?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Joseph Brant (Thayendanegea) on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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