Gilbert StuartAmerican, 1755–1828Elizabeth Beltzhoover Mason
Can I see it?
Yes, on view now
Where is “Elizabeth Beltzhoover Mason” now? The Cleveland Museum of Art, 204 Colonial American, Cleveland. Yes, on view now. Checked October 12, 2026.
On public display.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
About the painting
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.
The Cleveland Museum of Art
Details
- Accession number
- 1921.428
In the catalog
Sources
- The Cleveland Museum of Art
- Image: The Cleveland Museum of Art — Museum open access
In the life of Gilbert Stuart
The whole life1803
Opens a studio in Washington
In 1803 Stuart opens a studio in Washington, D.C.; two years later financial difficulties will make him move to Boston.
1805
Moves to Boston
Because of financial difficulties he moves to Devonshire Street in Boston; the critics go on praising him, and the money troubles do not go away.
1805–1828
Fellow artists seek his advice in Boston
In Boston he exhibited at Doggett’s Repository and Julien Hall, and other American artists sought his advice — John Trumbull, Thomas Sully, Washington Allston and John Vanderlyn.
