Seven Historical Portraits Bring $9 Million

Seven historical portraits from the John Jay family collection of early American leaders have been sold for nearly $9 million at a Christie’s auction, setting records for works by Gilbert Stuart, John Trumbull and Ezra Ames.

The top seller, bought by the State Department for $999,000, was a portrait by Stuart of John Jay, first chief justice of the Supreme Court, a Christie’s spokeswoman said Saturday.

Among the collection of paintings were a John Adams portrait by Trumbull, sold for $286,000, and a George Washington portrait, also by Trumbull, sold for $242,000.