Harrison Gray Otis

Harrison Gray Otis
Gilbert Stuart (1755-1828)
Boston, MA, 1809
Oil on canvas

This portrait of Harrison Gray Otis was completed in 1809 by famed portraitist Gilbert Stuart. At the time, Otis was serving his second term as Massachusetts Senate President. Otis is portrayed as a busy gentleman, hard at work although his clothing suggests refined leisure. Gilbert Stuart is most famous for his portraits of George Washington. Stuart painted a portrait of Sally Otis during the same year as a companion to this image of Harrison Gray Otis. Both portraits were likely on display at 45 Beacon Street, their home at the time of the paintings’ creation, and descended through the family. This portrait now hangs at the Otis House in Boston, Massachusetts.