American 18th Century
The entity known as American 18th Century refers to an unidentified American painter or studio active during the Colonial period, spanning approximately 1700 to 1775. The works associated with this period and attribution reflect the artistic demands of the pre-Revolutionary era, focusing primarily on portraiture and depictions of wildlife and sporting pursuits.
The verifiable output of this entity, as represented in major museum holdings, consists of fifteen documented items: fourteen paintings and one piece of decorative art. These works establish the artist’s significance in early American art history. Notable examples of American 18th Century paintings include the genre and hunting scenes Deer and Squirrels, Hunting Scene with a Harbor, and Hunting Scene with a Pond. The documented portraits include Young Woman with a Butterfly and the specific familial work Boy of the Beekman Family.
The prominence of this output is underlined by its representation in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art. Given the age and historical placement of these pieces, much of this material is now in the public domain, allowing for the widespread creation of high-quality prints and other reproductions for academic and private collectors.
