Jonathan Trumbull, Jr. with Mrs. Trumbull 1777

John Trumbull painted this portrait of his brother Jonathan, his sister-in-law, and their daughter, likely in the late 18th or early 19th century. It offers a glimpse into the social aspirations of a family navigating the burgeoning American republic. The Trumbulls, a family deeply embedded in the political and social fabric of Connecticut, used portraiture to assert their status. John himself was an aide to George Washington, and later Governor of Connecticut, while Jonathan served as the second Speaker of the House. The family's clothing, the carefully arranged domestic scene, and even the daughter’s basket of fruit, all serve as visual cues indicating prosperity and social standing. These were the marks of a refined family in a new nation defining itself through institutions and imagery borrowed from the European aristocracy. By studying family papers, financial records, and even probate inventories, we can further illuminate the social and economic realities that shaped not only the Trumbulls' lives, but also the art they commissioned.