Skip to main content

Primary sourcePainting1776

Thayendanegea (Joseph Brant)

George Romney · 1776

A 1776 London portrait of Joseph Brant painted from life by George Romney, made the year Brant met George III.

Painted from life in London in 1776, the year Brant pledged Mohawk support to the British Crown.

Ask Joseph Brant (Thayendanegea) about this sourceView the original(opens in new tab)
Oil portrait of a man with dark hair, facing forward, wearing a red and white feathered headdress, a pale pink shirt with ruffled cuffs, a black sash, and a silver gorget. A green and red sash is at his waist. Dark background with blue-grey clouds at upper left. Inscription at lower right reads 'Thayendanegea, Joseph Brant, the Mohawk Chief.'
George Romney, Thayendanegea (Joseph Brant), 1776. National Gallery of Canada.

About this source

What it is

This oil painting of Joseph Brant (Thayendanegea) was painted from life by the English artist George Romney in London in 1776. It is now held by the National Gallery of Canada.

Brant is shown wearing a feathered headdress, a ruffled shirt, a silver gorget and an Indian blanket.

Why it matters

Brant sat for Romney while visiting England with Guy Johnson, during the same trip in which he met King George III and pledged Mohawk support to the British Crown against the American rebels. The portrait reflects how British society wanted to see an important Indigenous ally — dignified, exotic and loyal — at a moment of high political stakes for both Britain and the Mohawk.

Look closer

  • What details in Brant's clothing mix European and Mohawk styles, and why might that be?
  • Why would a British painter be asked to paint an Indigenous leader at this exact moment?
  • What does the portrait not tell us about Brant's own views or voice?

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.

More Joseph Brant (Thayendanegea) sources

Meet the AI Joseph Brant (Thayendanegea) →
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.Painting

Primary source

Joseph Brant by Gilbert Stuart

Gilbert Stuart · 1786

Oil portrait of a man in profile turned to the left, wearing a dark headband with a white feather, a red flower and green leaves, a white shirt, dark neck cloth, a crescent gorget, and a pink wrap over his shoulder, against a blue-gray background.Painting

Primary source

Joseph Brant by Charles Willson Peale

Charles Willson Peale · 1797

Sepia-toned mezzotint print of a man in a feathered headdress and a white shirt with a sash, holding his hands together at his waist against a dark background. A printed caption runs along the bottom margin of the sheet.Painting

Secondary source

Joseph Fayadaneega, called the Brant, the Great Captain of the Six Nations

John Raphael Smith, after George Romney · 1779

Black-and-white reproduction of a painted portrait of an older man with a receding hairline and dark hair swept back, wearing a dark high-collared garment. He faces forward with a neutral expression against a textured background.Painting

Primary source

Joseph Brant by Ezra Ames

Ezra Ames · 1806

Painting of a man in a white shirt and long red cloak, with a dark sash, pointing to the left with one arm. He holds a long rifle and wears a feather in his hair. A dog stands at the lower left by a river and trees under a pale sky.Painting

Primary source

Joseph Brant by William Berczy

William Berczy · c. 1807

Ready when you are

Start chatting with Joseph Brant (Thayendanegea) now.

20 messages free · No credit card · Available in 50+ languages.

Trial Humy for freeGet a quote for institutions