John Goffe Rand
John Goffe Rand (27 January 1801–23 January 1873) was an American painter and inventor. He lived and worked in Boston, London, and New York. Rand invented and patented the first collapsible artist's paint tube.
Also recorded as John Rand · John G. Rand · John Foffe Rand
John Goffe Rand

John Goffe Rand · Public domain
- Birth Name
- John Goffe Rand
- Born
- 27 January 1801
- Died
- 23 January 1873
- Birthplace
- Bedford, New Hampshire
- Place of death
- Roslyn, New York
- Known for
- Portrait painting
- Spouse
- Lavinia Brainerd Rand (m. 1831)
- Nationality
- United States
- Occupation
- painter · inventor
- Fields
- portrait
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John Goffe Rand (27 January 1801–23 January 1873) was an American painter and inventor. He lived and worked in Boston, London, and New York. Rand invented and patented the first collapsible artist's paint tube.
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wikidata · Q2143574 · wikipedia · John G. Rand
In this article
Biography
Biography
The tin tube allowed unused oil paint to be stored and used later without drying out. In 1841, Rand patented the invention with the United States Patent Office (Sept 11, 1841 Patent No. He went on to patent several later improvements. Jean Renoir, son of the Impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir, states that his father once said “Without paints in tubes, there would have been no Cézanne, no Monet, no Sisley or Pissaro, nothing of what the journalists were later to call Impressionism.” Art historian Anthea Callen has argued, however, that Impressionism "cannot be attributed simply to the ready portability" of paint. Other later inventions by Rand were not as widely received, and most of his ideas were not financially successful. He was interred at Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx, New York.
Key facts
Key facts
• Birth Name — John Goffe Rand • Born — 27 January 1801 • Died — 23 January 1873 • Birthplace — Bedford, New Hampshire • Place of death — Roslyn, New York • Known for — Portrait painting • Spouse — Lavinia Brainerd Rand (m. 1831)
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1801
John Goffe Rand was born on 27 January 1801.
1873
John Goffe Rand died on 23 January 1873.
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John Goffe Rand was born at Bedford.
Birthplace
Bedford.
Birth place
Primary material
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reference work
- “John G. Rand”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
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authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q2143574: John Goffe Rand
General reference · Wikidata
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.British artists' suppliers, 1650-1950 - R - National Portrait Gallery.
- 2.A real squeeze: Paint in tubes | Christie's. www.christies.com.
- 3.PATENT FOR THE INVENTION OF THE TUBE (TUBE) 1841. tuba.ru.
- 4.Renoir, Jean. Renoir, My Father. 77. 1962.
- 5.Callen, Anthea. The Art of Impressionism. Yale University Press. 106. 2000.
- 6.More Information | A Finding Aid to the John Goffe Rand papers, 1832-1960, bulk 1832-1873 | Digitized Collection.
- 7.John Goffe Rand (1801-1873) - Find A Grave. www.findagrave.com.
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John Goffe Rand is recorded as a citizen of United States. Recorded with the occupation inventor. Classed in the genre portrait.
Recognition and collections
Work by John Goffe Rand is
J. Paul Getty Museum, Smithsonian American Art Museum and New York Historical
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
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