John Vanderlyn (1775—1852)

by John Vanderlyn (1775—1852)

Oil on Canvas; 25 1/4 x 20 7/8 in. (64.1 x 53 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY.

by John Vanderlyn (1775—1852)

Watercolor on ivory.

by John Vanderlyn (1775—1852)

Oil on canvas; 36 7/8 x 28 1/8 in. (93.7 x 71.4 cm) The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY.

by John Vanderlyn (1775—1852)

Oil on canvas. New-York Historical Society, New York, NY.

by John Vanderlyn (1775—1852)

Oil on canvas. New York Historical Society, New York, NY.

Daughter (1783—1813) of Aaron Burr.

by John Vanderlyn (1775—1852)

Oil on wood panel; 10 x 8 in ( 25.4 x 20.3 cm). New-York Historical Society, New York, NY.

by John Vanderlyn (1775—1852)

Oil on canvas; 46 1/4 x 35 1/4 in ( 117.5 x 89.5 cm). New-York Historical Society, New York, NY.

by John Vanderlyn (1775—1852)

Oil on canvas. The White House Collection, Washington, DC.

by John Vanderlyn (1775—1852)

Oil on canvas. The White House Historical Collection, White House Blue Room, Washington, DC.

by John Vanderlyn (1775—1852)

Oil on canvas. National Portrait Gallery (Smithsonian), Washington, DC.

Eighteenth-century writers seemed uncertain how best to describe Britain’s relation to its many overseas possessions. Only tepidly did they employ the concept of empire since for them it carried uncomfortable baggage from ancient history. The traditional usage suggested that control over distant colonies and expansion into new regions depended on military might. But the notion that Great Britain was a modern-day Rome, dispatching powerful legions to conquer the world, did not sit well with a people who celebrated liberty and rights, the blessings of living under a balanced constitution.

T. H. Breen
The Marketplace of the Revolution (2004)