Existing comment:
Gilbert Stuart
George Washington, c. 1803
After returning to the United States from London -- where he spent the Revolutionary War years -- Stuart was inundated with requests for copies of his paintings of Washington. This canvas is one of many versions he made of the so-called Athenaeum portrait. Of all the likenesses painted in Washington's lifetime, the Athenaeum portrait. Of all the likenesses painted in Washington's lifetime, the Athenaeum type best captures the president's modest yet resolute character. Avoiding the theatrical poses and rhetorical gestures common to period portraits, this austere likeness projects a solemn dignity appropriate to its subject. |