32 Facts About Gilbert Stuart

1.

Gilbert Charles Stuart was born on Stewart; December 3, 1755 – July 9, 1828 and was an American painter from Rhode Island Colony who is widely considered one of America's foremost portraitists.

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2.

Gilbert Stuart's best-known work is an unfinished portrait of George Washington, begun in 1796, which is sometimes referred to as the Athenaeum Portrait.

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3.

Gilbert Stuart retained the portrait and used it to paint scores of copies that were commissioned by patrons in America and abroad.

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4.

Gilbert Stuart produced portraits of more than 1, 000 people, including the first six Presidents.

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5.

Gilbert Stuart was the third child of Gilbert Stewart, a Scottish immigrant employed in the snuff-making industry, and Elizabeth Anthony Stewart, a member of a prominent land-owning family from Middletown, Rhode Island.

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6.

Gilbert Stuart's father owned the first snuff mill in America, which was located in the basement of the family homestead.

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7.

Gilbert Stuart moved to Newport, Rhode Island at the age of six, where his father pursued work in the merchant field.

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8.

Under the guidance of Alexander, Gilbert Stuart painted the portrait Dr Hunter's Spaniels when he was 14; it hangs today in the Hunter House Mansion in Newport.

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9.

In 1771, Gilbert Stuart moved to Scotland with Alexander to finish his studies; however, Alexander died in Edinburgh one year later.

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10.

Gilbert Stuart tried to maintain a living and pursue his painting career, but to no avail, so he returned to Newport in 1773.

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11.

Gilbert Stuart's painting style during this period began to develop beyond the relatively hard-edged and linear style that he had learned from Alexander.

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12.

Gilbert Stuart was unsuccessful at first in pursuit of his vocation, but he became a protege of Benjamin West in 1777 and studied with him for the next six years.

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13.

The relationship was beneficial, with Gilbert Stuart exhibiting for the first time at the Royal Academy in spring of 1777.

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14.

Christman, it "belied the prevailing opinion that Gilbert Stuart 'made a tolerable likeness of a face, but as to the figure, he could not get below the fifth button'".

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15.

Gilbert Stuart said that he was "suddenly lifted into fame by a single picture".

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16.

Gilbert Stuart ended his 18-year stay in Britain and Ireland in 1793, leaving behind numerous unfinished paintings.

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17.

Gilbert Stuart returned to the United States with a particular goal in mind: to paint a portrait of George Washington, have an engraver reproduce it, and provide for his family by the sale of the engravings.

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18.

Gilbert Stuart settled briefly in New York City and pursued portrait commissions from influential people who could bring him to Washington's attention.

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19.

In 1795, Gilbert Stuart moved to Germantown, Philadelphia where he opened a studio, and Washington posed for him later that year.

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20.

Gilbert Stuart painted Washington in a series of iconic portraits, each of them leading to a demand for copies and keeping him busy and highly paid for years.

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21.

Gilbert Stuart sold up to 70 of his reproductions for a price of $100 each, but the original portrait was left unfinished at the time of his death in 1828.

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22.

Gilbert Stuart moved to Devonshire Street in Boston in 1805, continuing in both critical acclaim and financial troubles.

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23.

Gilbert Stuart exhibited works locally at Doggett's Repository and Julien Hall.

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24.

Gilbert Stuart was sought out for advice by other artists, such as John Trumbull, Thomas Sully, Washington Allston, and John Vanderlyn.

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25.

Gilbert Stuart's sold many of his paintings and her replicas of them from her studios in Boston and Newport, Rhode Island.

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26.

Gilbert Stuart was buried in the Old South Burial Ground of the Boston Common.

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27.

Gilbert Stuart left his family deeply in debt, and his wife and daughters were unable to purchase a grave site.

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28.

Gilbert Stuart was, therefore, buried in an unmarked grave which was purchased cheaply from Benjamin Howland, a local carpenter.

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29.

Gilbert Stuart's family recovered from their financial troubles 10 years later, and they planned to move his body to a family cemetery in Newport.

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30.

Gilbert Stuart was praised for the vitality and naturalness of his portraits, and his subjects found his company agreeable.

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31.

Gilbert Stuart was known for working without the aid of sketches, beginning directly upon the canvas, which was very unusual for the time period.

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32.

Gilbert Stuart's approach is suggested by the advice which he gave to his pupil Matthew Harris Jouett: "Never be sparing of colour, load your pictures, but keep your colours as separate as you can.

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