GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The pre-eminent American portraitist of his day, Stuart painted virtually all the country's leading figures and is particularly well known for his different studies of George Washington. By Americanizing the English grand manner tradition, he created a chapter in American art history that is one of its most distinct and distinguished. Stuart was born in North Kingstown Township near Newport, Rhode Island, the son of Scottish parents. In 1769 he was the apprentice to Scottish painter Cosmos Alexander, then touring the United States, and returned with him to Edinburgh in 1771. After Alexander's death in 1773, he returned to Rhode Island and established himself as a portrait painter. A desire for advancement took him to London in 1775, where after a two-year period of poverty and self-doubt he became a student of Benjamin West. Under West's encouragement and tutelage he quickly mastered the painterly techniques and elegant tone of the English style, and his reputation flourished. By 1777 he was exhibiting at the Royal Academy, and by 1782 he had earned enough recognition to set up his own studio. In 1787 Stuart was forced to retire to Dublin for five years because of debts incurred from his extravagant lifestyle. He then returned to America, taking up practice first in New York and then, in 1794, in Philadelphia and beginning his cultivation of a wealthy clientele in the Northern and Mid-Atlantic states. His first portrait of Washington, painted in 1795, assured his success. Thereafter, Stuart was constantly in demand, working in Washington D. C. from 1803 to 1805 and settling in Boston in 1805. Although he never founded a school per se, he had a widespread influence on the younger generation of American portrait painters and freely gave of his time and advice.
Adapted from
- Steven A. Nash, "Gilbert Stuart (1755-1828)", in Dallas Collects American Paintings: Colonial to Early Modern, ed. Robert V. Rozelle (Dallas, TX: Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, 1982), 31.
- Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, Famous American Paintings, 1948.
NOTES
Stuart's portraits are best known to us through his paintings of George Washington and other important statesmen and personalities of Colonial life -- John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, John Quincy Adams, and John Jay. After studying in London at Benjamin West's studio and rising
to a successful position as a painter of English society portraits, Stuart was forced to retire to Dublin because of the debts incurred by his extravagant life. From there he was attracted to America by his desire to paint Washington. In 1792 he moved to New York and two years later accomplished his desire at Philadelphia. Stuart painted three portraits of Washington from life : the Vaughan, the Lansdowne, and the Athenaeum. The Vaughan type shows the right side of Washington's face and the Athenaeum, shows the left side of the face; the latter was left unfinished. This portrait is the accepted likeness of the Father of His Country. Before painting the Athenaeum, Stuart did a full-length study of Washington for Lord Lansdowne, now know as the Lansdowne type. From these three portraits Stuart made an estimated 111 replicas .
From Famous American Paintings assembled for the State Fair of TX 1948, exh cat from Piciton
See Bromberg, "Description of Selected Paintings in the Collection," educaiton files, 1987.
Mr. John Ashley Esq and Mrs. John Ashley, 1798
Based citation of DMFA pamphlet on WorldCat entry.
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General Description
The pre-eminent American portraitist of his day, Stuart painted virtually all the country's leading figures and is particularly well known for his different studies of George Washington. By Americanizing the English grand manner tradition, he created a chapter in American art history that is one of its most distinct and distinguished. Stuart was born in North Kingstown Township near Newport, Rhode Island, the son of Scottish parents. In 1769 he was the apprentice to Scottish painter Cosmos Alexander, then touring the United States, and returned with him to Edinburgh in 1771. After Alexander's death in 1773, he returned to Rhode Island and established himself as a portrait painter. A desire for advancement took him to London in 1775, where after a two-year period of poverty and self-doubt he became a student of Benjamin West. Under West's encouragement and tutelage he quickly mastered the painterly techniques and elegant tone of the English style, and his reputation flourished. By 1777 he was exhibiting at the Royal Academy, and by 1782 he had earned enough recognition to set up his own studio. In 1787 Stuart was forced to retire to Dublin for five years because of debts incurred from his extravagant lifestyle. He then returned to America, taking up practice first in New York and then, in 1794, in Philadelphia and beginning his cultivation of a wealthy clientele in the Northern and Mid-Atlantic states. His first portrait of Washington, painted in 1795, assured his success. Thereafter, Stuart was constantly in demand, working in Washington D. C. from 1803 to 1805 and settling in Boston in 1805. Although he never founded a school per se, he had a widespread influence on the younger generation of American portrait painters and freely gave of his time and advice.
Adapted from
- Steven A. Nash, "Gilbert Stuart (1755-1828)", in Dallas Collects American Paintings: Colonial to Early Modern, ed. Robert V. Rozelle (Dallas, TX: Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, 1982), 31.
- Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, Famous American Paintings, 1948.
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Notes
Stuart's portraits are best known to us through his paintings of George Washington and other important statesmen and personalities of Colonial life -- John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, John Quincy Adams, and John Jay. After studying in London at Benjamin West's studio and rising
to a successful position as a painter of English society portraits, Stuart was forced to retire to Dublin because of the debts incurred by his extravagant life. From there he was attracted to America by his desire to paint Washington. In 1792 he moved to New York and two years later accomplished his desire at Philadelphia. Stuart painted three portraits of Washington from life : the Vaughan, the Lansdowne, and the Athenaeum. The Vaughan type shows the right side of Washington's face and the Athenaeum, shows the left side of the face; the latter was left unfinished. This portrait is the accepted likeness of the Father of His Country. Before painting the Athenaeum, Stuart did a full-length study of Washington for Lord Lansdowne, now know as the Lansdowne type. From these three portraits Stuart made an estimated 111 replicas .
From Famous American Paintings assembled for the State Fair of TX 1948, exh cat from Piciton
See Bromberg, "Description of Selected Paintings in the Collection," educaiton files, 1987.
Mr. John Ashley Esq and Mrs. John Ashley, 1798
Based citation of DMFA pamphlet on WorldCat entry.
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