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.

Mare was born in New York City, the son of John Mare, of Devonshire, and Mary Bes Mare, presumed to be of Dutch origin. His sister Mary was the wife of the painter William Williams, who may have taught him, although nothing is known of his training as an artist or of his education otherwise. His father is variously described in records as a mariner and laborer, and may have been illiterate.

Mare is recorded in Albany, New York after 1759; in that year he moved to the city with his wife, Anne Morris, and his son was baptized there in 1760. Both appear to have died early; there is no mention of them in the will of John Mare, Sr., dated 1761. In that same year Mare is supposed to have returned to New York City, as the will makes no mention of residence in Albany. The first direct mention of Mare's profession comes in 1765; on October 1 of that year he was admitted to the freedom of the city of New York under the name and title of "John Mare Jr., Limner". Evidence suggests that he was in Boston around 1767 and again in 1768, but by 1772 he was back in Albany seeking work, having mortgaged his property on Mulberry Street in 1771 to pay for the trip. Sometime in the next two years he returned to New York City, executing his last two known portraits while there.

Mare is believed to have moved to North Carolina by 1778; he is last recorded in New York the year prior. The reason for the move is unknown; 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. In Edenton he became a businessman, apparently abandoning painting once and for all; no record of any artwork by Mare in North Carolina has yet been found. By 1780 he had become a partner in the firm Mare & Cooley, and had taken out one-sixteenth interest in the schooner Ostrich. 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. However, he fell into financial difficulty in his last years, and appears to have suffered from a debilitating illness as well, which may have prevented his putting his affairs in order.

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