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Elizabeth Beltzhoover Mason
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
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.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineElizabeth Beltzhoover Mason, c. 1803–5. Gilbert Stuart (American, 1755–1828). Oil on canvas; framed: 90 x 78 x 8 cm (35 7/16 x 30 11/16 x 3 1/8 in.); unframed: 73.8 x 61 cm (29 1/16 x 24 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift from J. H. Wade, 1921.428
