John Hesselius was the leading portraitist of the mid-Atlantic region, especially Mary, land, during his most active career, from about 1750 to 1763. He was born in 1728, probably in Philadelphia, the son of Gustavus Hesselius (1682-1755), a Swedish-born painter who was among the first trained artists to work in this country. John Hesselius appears to have begun his portrait-painting career about 1750, to judge from his dated works. He may have traveled that year in the company of the artist Robert Feke (1707-1752).

Hesselius lived several years in Philadelphia but often traveled through Virginia and Maryland in search of commissions. He settled in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, about 1759. In early 1763 he married a Mary Woudward, a wealthy widow there. Although he continued to paint in Maryland and Virginia, his duties as manager of a country estate and his religious activities occupied much of his time. The inventory of hi estate suggests that he was a wealthy man of numerous gentlemanly accomplishments.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Theodore Bolton and George C. Groce, Jr., "John Hesselius: An Account of His Life and the First Catalogue of His Portraits," Art Quarterly 2 (Winter 1939): 76-91 § Richard K. Doud, "John Hesselius: His Life and Work," Master’s thesis, University of Delaware, 1963, with catalogue of signed, attributed, and lost paintings will of the artist, inventory of his chattels (1778), bibliography § Richard K. Doud, "The Fitzhugh Portraits by John Hesselius," Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, 75 (April 1967): 159-73 § Richard K. Doud, "John Hesselius, Maryland Limner," Winterthur Portfolio 5 (1969): 129-53, with catalogue of signed attributed portraits of Maryland subjects, reprint of the artist’s will, inventory of his possessions in 1778 § Roland E. Fleisher, "Three Recently Discovered Portraits by John Hesselius," Antiques 119 (March 1981): 666-68.