Gilbert Stuart is widely considered to be one of America's foremost portraitists. Stuart is best known for his unfinished Athenaeum portrait of George Washington. His best known work is the unfinished portrait of George Washington that is sometimes referred to as The Athenaeum, begun in 1796. Gilbert Charles Stuart (born Stewart; December 3, 1755 – July 9, 1828) was an American painter from Rhode Island who is widely considered one of America's foremost portraitists. His best known work, the unfinished portrait of George Washington that is sometimes referred to as The Athenaeum, was begun in 1796 and left incomplete at the time of Stuart's death in 1828. 2 2 The Lansdowne portrait is an iconic life-size portrait of George Washington painted by Gilbert …

Despite this success, he fled to Dublin in 1787 to escape his creditors. Stuart's prospects as a portraitist were jeopardized by the onset of the American Revolution and its social disruptions. He finally settled in Boston in 1805. Last, 1 Under the guidance of Alexander, Stuart painted the famous portrait Dr. Hunter's Spaniels when he was 14; it hangs today in the Hunter House Mansion in Newport. 4 Stuart produced portraits of more than 1,000 people, including the first six Presidents. 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. Stuart said that he was "suddenly lifted into fame by a single picture". It was Stuart's first full-length portrait and, according to art historian Margaret C. S. Christman, it "belied the prevailing opinion that Stuart 'made a tolerable likeness of a face, but as to the figure, he could not get below the fifth button'". Next 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. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. He departed for England in 1775 following the example set by John Singleton Copley.

3 The image of George Washington featured in the painting has appeared on the United States one-dollar bill for more than a century and on various U.S. postage stamps of the 19th century and early 20th century. Stuart’s work was hailed by his contemporaries, and modern critics have confirmed this judgment, praising his brushwork, luminous colour, and psychological penetration. The relationship was beneficial, with Stuart exhibiting at the Royal Academy as early as 1777. Courtesy of the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., Andrew Mellon Collection
He lived in New York City for a short time and moved to Philadelphia, where he lived for about 12 years. This is the image seen on the U.S. one dollar bill. Stuart moved to Newport, Rhode Island at the age of six, where his father pursued work in the merchant field.

The museum consists of the original house Stuart was born in, with copies of paintings from throughout his career hanging throughout … Throughout his career, Gilbert Stuart produced portraits of over 1,000 people, including the first six Presidents of the United States. 4 By 1782, Stuart had met with success, largely due to acclaim for The Skater, a portrait of William Grant. Stuart retained the portrait and used it to paint 130 copies which he sold for $100 each. His mature style owes more, however, to the work of Thomas Gainsborough and Sir Joshua Reynolds than to West. Stuart's father owned the first snuff mill in America, which was located in the basement of the family homestead.
Click here to see a complete collection of Gilbert Stuart oil artworks paintings and drawings, that include some of the world's best known, most popular and most expensive pieces After six years in Ireland he returned to the United States, where he quickly established himself as the nation’s leading portrait painter. Gilbert Stuart is considered one of the most successful American portrait painters of the 18th century. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.