Early American portraits

European portrait painting of the 18th century is an already established genre. However, in the meantime, samples are born in America that amaze with a deficient skill level. The faces of the depicted are devoid of volume, and their bodies are anatomically disproportionate.

Of course, examples in the American portrait art of the 18th century stand out among the bulk of portraits. However, they were created mainly by European masters or by Americans working in Europe. These American painters included Mather Brown, born in Massachusetts but trained in London, and John Vanderlyn of New York, who studied in Paris.
The lack of a portrait art tradition in America was the reason for the emergence of such primitive portraits.