Stuart, Gilbert

Gilbert Stuart, in full Gilbert Charles Stuart, (born December 3, 1755, Saunderstown, Rhode Island colony [now in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, U.S.]—died July 9, 1828, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.), American painter who was one of the great portrait painters of his era and the creator of a distinctively American portrait style.

Stuart grew up in Newport, Rhode Island, where he learned the rudiments of painting. In 1775 he went to London and entered the studio of the expatriate American artist Benjamin West, with whom he worked for about six years. His mature style owes more, however, to the work of Thomas Gainsborough and Sir Joshua Reynolds than to West. In 1782 Stuart opened his own London studio, and for five years he received portrait commissions from some of England’s most distinguished gentlemen. Despite this success, he fled to Dublin in 1787 to escape his creditors. After six years in Ireland he went to the United States, where he quickly established himself as the nation’s leading portrait painter. He lived in New York City for a short time and then moved to Philadelphia, where he lived for about 12 years. He finally settled in Boston in 1805.

Gilbert Stuart: portrait of George Washington

Gilbert Stuart: portrait of Mrs. Richard Yates

Stuart’s work was hailed by his contemporaries, and modern critics have confirmed this judgment, praising his brushwork, luminous colour, and psychological penetration. Of his nearly 1,000 portraits, undoubtedly the most famous is the unfinished head of George Washington from 1796. Stuart produced more than 60 copies of this work at the time, and in 1869 the image began to appear on the one-dollar bill. The iconic status of this work was assured in 1932, when millions of prints were distributed to American classrooms as part of the bicentennial celebration of Washington’s birth. Other fine portraits by Stuart include those of Mrs. Richard Yates, Mrs. Perez Morton, Major General Henry Dearborn, and John Adams.

Although Stuart had no formal pupils, many young artists, including John Vanderlyn, Thomas Sully, and John Neagle, took advantage of the advice he freely gave. These artists were particularly impressed by Stuart’s working method: eschewing preliminary sketches, he painted his sitters faces directly onto the canvas or panel. Less talented artists, including his own daughter Jane, reduced his style to a formula that was reflected in much American portraiture of the succeeding generation.