Benjamin West helped establish the painting tradition in the United States. Born in Springfield, Pennsylvania, West showed artistic talent at a young age. He was encouraged to study history, art, and antiquity in Europe, and in 1760, West became the first American artist to study in Italy. In 1763, he went to London in 1763, where King George III made him a member of the Royal Academy. West spent the rest of his life in London, keeping an open-door policy for American artists traveling abroad.

The British nobleman George Harry Grey succeeded his father as the fifth Earl of Stamford in 1768. He was born and raised in Leicestershire county in the English Midlands, and later served in national politics. West painted many aristocratic portraits—after leaving Pennsylvania for London, he befriended influential people and secured the patronage of the Archbishop of York, who introduced him to King George III. His portraits became sought-after emblems of wealth and status in English society.