Mattatuck Museum's 'About Face' Celebrates 250 Years of American Portraits

The Mattatuck Museum in Waterbury, Connecticut, presents 'About Face: 250 Years of American Portraits,' an exhibition marking the 250th anniversary of the United States. Curated by Rebecca McNamara, the museum's new chief curator, the show features approximately 50 portraitists, including internationally renowned figures like Robert Rauschenberg, Romare Bearden, and Kay Sage, as well as regional artists. The exhibition is organized around five thematic throughlines: self, collective, legacy, critique, and studio. Notable works include Thomas Hart Benton's 1941 lithograph 'Aaron,' depicting a Black farmer, and Rauschenberg's 1999 intaglio 'topher,' reflecting on his son and estrangement. The 'legacy' section includes two portraits of Abraham Lincoln, one by Calvin Curtis from the late 1800s and another by Hunt Slonem from 2016. Pat Oliphant's 1984 lithograph 'I Have Returned' satirizes Richard Nixon's post-Watergate return. The exhibition presents multiculturalism as an inherent feature of American identity, aligning with Waterbury's history as the 'Brass City,' which relied on immigrant labor. It runs through August 16, 2026, at the Whittemore & Noonan Galleries, 144 West Main Street, Waterbury, CT.