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COLLECTOR'S FOCUS
PORTRAITSG
ilbert Stuart (1755-1828) was
born in Rhode Island and lived
in London and Dublin for 18
years establishing a reputa-
tion for his portrait paintings. He returned
to the United States in 1793 and moved to
Philadelphia in 1795 where he had his first
sitting with George Washington, then 63.
Known for his wit and ability to engage his
sitters, Stuart captured a liveliness in his
portraits that centered on his sitters’ per-
sonality and sat them in unadorned set-
tings. He was known for his “flashy fluid
brushwork and richness of color.” He hit
a roadblock with Washington, who com-
plained about the tedium of sitting and
didn’t respond at all to Stuart’s charm. Stu-
art wrote, “an apathy seemed to seize him,
and a vacuity spread over his countenance,
most appalling to paint.”
Washington’s wife, Martha, liked the
first portrait and, in 1796, commissioned
Stuart to paint another as well as one of
herself, which she wanted to hang in their
home, Mount Vernon. Stuart didn’t finish
the paintings and kept the portrait of
Washington that he liked more than his
first effort. He used it to make many copies.- Nüart Gallery, The Fall, colored pencil and gouache on paper, 18 x 13½", by Michael Bergt.
- RJD Gallery, Emanate, mixed media, 30 x 22", by Aneka Ingold. 4. EVOKE Contemporary, Holy Combo, IV, oil on
panel, 24 x 30", by Patrick McGrath Muñiz.
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