To John Jay from Walter Robertson, 15 April 1796
From Walter Robertson
[[New York] 15 Apl. 1796]
Mr Walter Robertson presents his respects to the Governor & begs leave to inform him that he is very desirous of having his portrait, for the purpose of being engraved as a comparison to two prints of the President and Col. Hamilton. Mr Robertson has already sketched the Governors features from an unfinished portrait of Mr Stewart’s and now takes the liberty of requesting to know at what time his Excellency could make it convenient to honor him with a sitting either at the Government House or at his house No 3 Stone Street.1
AL, NNC (EJ: 07076). Addressed: “His Excellency / The Governor”. Endorsed by John Jay: “Mr. Walter Robertson / 15 ap. 1796 / miniature painter”. , 2: 207–8. See JJ’s reply of the same day, below.
1. Walter Robertson (c. 1750–1802) was an Irish born miniature painter and engraver. He became associated with Gilbert Stuart in London and Dublin. Bankruptcy caused him to accompany Stuart to New York in 1793, planning to engrave and paint miniature versions of Stuart’s portraits, most notably that of Washington. See SLJ to JJ, 2 Aug. 1794, above, and Carrie R. Barratt and Ellen G. Miles, Gilbert Stuart (New York and New Haven, 2004), 123, 135. See also JJ to PAJ, 16 Apr. 1798, below.