John Jay, 1794

Oil on canvas; 131 x 102 cm (51 9/16 x 40 3/16 in.) National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC.

Jay is depicted in the academic robes he wore when Harvard awarded him an honorary degree in 1790.

In the fall of 1775 Congress chose brown as the original color for the national uniform. In October 1778, however, France sent uniforms with a predominance of blue coats (although there were also brown), and so on 2 October 1779 Congress switched to blue as the official color.

— Michael Stephenson

Patriot Battles: How the War of Independence Was Fought (2007)