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GILBERT STUART
(American, 1755-1828)
Portrait of George Washington
Oil on panel
26 x 21 3/8”
Gift of Mary V. Fisher 1987.25

Considered the father of American portraiture, Gilbert Stuart was the son of a snuff grinder from Newport, Rhode Island. His early talent for drawing garnered him an apprenticeship with the renowned Scottish artist Cosmo Alexander. From 1775 to 1787, he studied in London with the American expatriate artist Benjamin West. While exhibiting his work at the Royal Academy, Stuart was praised for his saturated color, fluid brushwork, and unconventional poses, and this acclaim led to his successful career as a society portraitist in London and Dublin. In 1793, he returned to America, where he became the preeminent portraitist of the Federal period. Five presidents sat for him, and these portraits played a vital role in shaping an American imagery for the new republic.

In 1795 and 1796, George Washington sat for Stuart twice—once to paint the right side of the president’s face, and a second sitting to paint the left side. Stuart used the latter painting as the model for his numerous portraits of Washington, which included a bust format and a full-length version. These paintings contributed to Stuart’s prominent reputation, and many artists—including Kentucky painter Matthew Harris Jouett—sought his instruction.