Stephen Fuller Austin

Object Details

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National Portrait Gallery Collection

Date

c. 1840

Object number

NPG.93.380

Exhibition Label

Born Wythe County, Virginia

Stephen Austin established the first settlement of Anglo-Americans in Mexico’s largely uninhabited Texas territory in 1821, where his late father had secured a land grant. The colony thrived and expanded, and with the Mexican government’s blessing, Austin emerged as the primary governing authority. When Mexico banned slavery in 1829, Austin resisted, and an exception was soon granted. A firm believer that his interests were best served under Mexican rule, Austin helped ensure Texas remained a part of Mexico for as long as it did.

It was with reluctance that Austin joined other Anglo-Americans in the war for Texas’s independence from Mexico in 1836. Ultimately, even that hesitation was not enough to diminish the great admiration he engendered as the founder of Texas. During the late 1830s, a portrait of Austin (resembling this painting) appeared on fifty-dollar notes issued by the Republic of Texas.

Provenance

Eugene K. Austin; Mrs. William P. Harris, Long Island; her granddaughter Carey Haus Beverly, Portsmouth, Va.; purchased 1993 NPG

Credit Line

National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution

Artist

Unidentified Artist

Sitter

Stephen Fuller Austin, 3 Nov 1793 - 27 Dec 1836

Topic

Stephen Fuller Austin: Male

Stephen Fuller Austin: Politics and Government\Statesman

Stephen Fuller Austin: Law and Law Enforcement\Judge

Stephen Fuller Austin: Business and Finance\Businessperson\Banker

Stephen Fuller Austin: Natural Resources\Pioneer\Frontiersman

Stephen Fuller Austin: Politics and Government\Governor\Texas

Portrait

Medium

Oil on canvas

Dimensions

Stretcher: 66 x 55.9 x 2.5cm (26 x 22 x 1")

Frame: 85.1 x 74.9 x 5.1cm (33 1/2 x 29 1/2 x 2")

Data Source

National Portrait Gallery

Restrictions & Rights

CC0

Type

Painting

Metadata Usage

CC0

GUID

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm4d20df666-4404-4967-ad52-6d6daa5bfe02

Record ID

npg_NPG.93.380