A Portrait of American Loyalist James DeLancey

American loyalist Colonel James DeLancey of Westchester County, New York, who led several loyalist cavalry and infantry units during the American Revolution is the subject of this portrait ca. 1778-1782 attributed to itinerant artist John Durand. Portraits of American loyalists depicted in the uniforms they wore when they fought against the patriot cause are rare. Emily Parsons, the Institute’s deputy director and curator, recounts DeLancey’s activities during the Revolution and places his portrait in the context of other eighteenth-century depictions of American loyalists.

Video courtesy of C-SPAN’s American History TV

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