John Adams
Portrait, pastel on paper by Benjamin Blyth, circa 1766
57 cm x 44.5 cm; in frame: 68 cm x 55.2 cm
This portrait of John Adams in pastel crayon by Benjamin Blyth is the earliest known likeness of him. Adams was born in Braintree (now Quincy), Mass. in 1735. He graduated from Harvard College in 1755, became a lawyer, and returned to Braintree to practice. In 1764, Adams married Abigail Smith of Weymouth, Mass., who was also depicted by Blyth in a companion portrait. Adams's law career led him into politics and government, which took him away from Massachusetts for long periods of time. He became a member of the Continental Congress, a peace commissioner, the first United States minister to England, the first vice president, and the second president of the United States.
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