John Hesselius

John Hesselius
Born1728
Died9 April 1778
NationalityAmerican
Known forPainter
Portrait of Reverend Richard Brown by John Hesselius

John Hesselius (1728–1778) was an American portrait painter who worked mostly in Virginia and Maryland. He was the son of the Swedish-born portraitist Gustavus Hesselius. He painted the portraits of many wealthy politicians and planters in Colonial Maryland, making him a successful and wealthy individual; at his death in 1778 he left a substantial estate of land and slaves.