John Mare (painter)

John Mare, Jr. (born New York City, 1739; died Edenton, North Carolina between June, 1802 and April, 1803) was an American painter, businessman, and public figure.

[4] The reason for the move is unknown;[1] however, while Mare had been nearly the only painter in New York City for much of his early career, competing only with Lawrence Kilburn for custom, the arrival of John Durand and Abraham Delanoy on the scene may have influenced his decision somewhat.

[2] For some fifteen years he was successful, opening trade with the West Indies and acquiring property in surrounding counties; he is also known to have owned slaves.

[2] However, he fell into financial difficulty in his last years, and appears to have suffered from a debilitating illness as well,[1] which may have prevented his putting his affairs in order.

[1] In 1780 a ship of which he was part owner, the Fair American, was captured by the British, causing him significant financial loss;[2] among its passengers, who were transported to London, was future congressman Thomas Wynns.

He was a member of St. Paul's Church, Edenton, and may have been buried in its churchyard; the exact date of his death is unknown,[1] as no obituaries have been found either in the press or in Masonic records of the era.

[1] In that same year Mare was chosen to represent Edenton at the convention in which North Carolina ratified the United States Constitution; he voted for ratification.

Mare is also believed to have assisted in drafting the constitution of the Grand Lodge of North Carolina; he presided over the convention in Tarboro which revived it in 1787,[1] having been elected with Stephen Cabarrus to represent Edenton.

A 1767 portrait of John Keteltas[1] (in the New York Historical Society collection) is distinguished by a trompe l'oeil house fly on the sitter's cuff, poised as if on the surface of the painting.

[6] The portrait is the only one of its kind, three-quarter length, known by the artist's hand; judging by the prominence he gives to the chair on which Platt leans, and the damask drapery background, it appears that he was unfamiliar with the format and compensated accordingly.

[6] The portrait suggests knowledge of the work of John Singleton Copley, and is adjudged as Mare's most successful known piece; he is otherwise thought of as an average painter, and his style has been described as "stiff and awkward".