John Vaughan 1823

Thomas Sully created this portrait of John Vaughan with oil on canvas. Sully was a sought-after portrait painter in the early 19th century. He captured the likenesses of the elite, the powerful, and the influential. Vaughan, here depicted with a subtle yet knowing smile, held the position of librarian for the American Philosophical Society. In Vaughan’s role, we see the embodiment of enlightenment ideals in the early republic. These societies fostered the sharing of knowledge, and shaped intellectual and cultural life in the new nation. Yet, we must ask, knowledge for whom? Consider the absence of women and people of color from these circles, and what this says about the exclusivity of knowledge and power in the early United States. Sully's portrait not only captures an individual, but also prompts us to reflect on the broader societal structures of inclusion and exclusion.