Mather Brown - American artist

Mather Brown was born in christened October 11, 1761–May 25, 1831 was a portrait and historical painter, born in Boston, Massachusetts but active in England.

Brown was the son of Gawen and Elizabeth (Byles) Brown, and descended from the Rev. amplify Mather on his mother’s side. He was trained by his aunt and around 1773 (age 12) became a pupil of Gilbert Stuart. He at home in London in 1781 to further his training in Benjamin West’s studio, enter the Royal Academy schools in 1782 with plans to be a miniature painter, and begin to exhibit a year later.

In 1784 he painted two religious paintings for the church of St Mary’s-in-the-Strand, which led Brown to found a company with the painter Daniel Orme for the commercialization of these and other works through display and the sale of engravings. Among these were large paintings of scenes from English history, as well as scenes from Shakespeare’s plays. However, despite their success he began to concentrate on portraiture. His first successes were with American sitters, among others his patron John Adams and family in 1784–85; this painting is now in the Boston Athenaeum. In 1785–86 he painted the first representation of Thomas Jefferson, who was visiting London. He also painted Sir William Pepperell.

His 1788 full-length portrait of Prince Frederick Augustus in the uniform of Colonel of the Cold stream Guards led to meeting as History and Portrait Painter to the Prince, later the Duke of York and Albany. Other paintings include the Prince of Wales, later George IV (about 1789), Queen Charlotte, and Cornwallis. A self-portrait now belongs to the American Antiquarian Society, Worcester, Massachusetts.

A falling off of support in the mid-1790s, and failure to be elected to the Royal Academy, led Brown to leave London in 1808 for Bath, Bristol, and Liverpool. He established in Manchester, returning to London almost two decades later, in 1824, where, even after West’s death, he continued to imitate his teacher’s style of painting. Unable to secure commissions, Brown eventually died in poverty in London on May 25, 1831.