Our founding fathers (George Washington, Thomas Jefferson et al) were always one step ahead of history and having an artist of such immense talents as Gilbert Stuart to paint their portraits has made the images of our founding fathers indelible in the minds of the modern reader. As a TJ enthusiast I often wonder how amazing it must of been to have "sat" for Gilbert Stuart a known storyteller and have your portrait painted. Mr. Jefferson was a favorite portrait sitter and this book is a lovely trip down memory lane (circa 18th century) to read about the fascinating story behind the portraits and the artist.

The life and works of the father of American portraiture.

02 Gilbert StuartCarrie Rebora Barratt and Ellen G. MilesA fascinating new look at the portraits and career of Gilbert Stuart, whose fame is closely aligned to his incisive images of George Washington The most successful and resourceful portraitist of America’s early national period, Gilbert Stuart (1755–1828) possessed enormous natural talent, bringing his witty and irascible manner to bear on each of his works. This handsome book highlights Stuart’s achievements by presenting more than ninety portraits of exceptional quality, ranging from the early works he produced in Newport, Rhode Island, to those he executed just before his death in Boston.Carrie Rebora Barratt and Ellen G. Miles show how Stuart developed and maintained a distinctive portrait style, tailoring his portrayals to fit his subjects. They trace the development of his art from his hometown of Newport, where he proved his talent, to his years in London and Dublin, where he mastered the techniques of the English late-eighteenth-century Grand Manner, to his return to America (no longer the Colonies but now the United States), where he dealt with clients in New York, Philadelphia, Washington, and Boston. The authors provide a short essay about Stuart in each of the sites of his production, which introduces the works painted there. There is also a special section devoted to Stuart’s famous and popular portraits of Washington, the so-called Vaughan, Athenaeum, and Lansdowne portraits. These works are discussed in terms of patronage, technique, chronology, and interpretation.The most comprehensive book on the artist’s work to date, Gilbert Stuart is essential for anyone who admires American art and history.F This book is the catalogue for an exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art (October 18, 2004 to February 27, 2005) and the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. (April 10 to July 31, 2005), the first major show of Gilbert Stuart portraits since 1967.Carrie Rebora Barratt is Curator of American Paintings and Sculpture and Manager of the Henry R. Luce Center for the Study of American Art at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Ellen G. Miles is Curator of Painting and Sculpture at the National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Gilbert StuartCarrie Rebora Barratt and Ellen G. MilesA fascinating new look at the portraits and career of Gilbert Stuart, whose fame is closely aligned to his incisive images of George Washington The most successful and resourceful portraitist of America’s early national period, Gilbert Stuart (1755–1828) possessed enormous natural talent, bringing his witty and irascible manner to bear on each of his works. This handsome book highlights Stuart’s achievements by presenting more than ninety portraits of exceptional quality, ranging from the early works he produced in Newport, Rhode Island, to those he executed just before his death in Boston.Carrie Rebora Barratt and Ellen G. Miles show how Stuart developed and maintained a distinctive portrait style, tailoring his portrayals to fit his subjects. They trace the development of his art from his hometown of Newport, where he proved his talent, to his years in London and Dublin, where he mastered the techniques of the English late-eighteenth-century Grand Manner, to his return to America (no longer the Colonies but now the United States), where he dealt with clients in New York, Philadelphia, Washington, and Boston. The authors provide a short essay about Stuart in each of the sites of his production, which introduces the works painted there. There is also a special section devoted to Stuart’s famous and popular portraits of Washington, the so-called Vaughan, Athenaeum, and Lansdowne portraits. These works are discussed in terms of patronage, technique, chronology, and interpretation.The most comprehensive book on the artist’s work to date, Gilbert Stuart is essential for anyone who admires American art and history.F This book is the catalogue for an exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art (October 18, 2004 to February 27, 2005) and the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. (April 10 to July 31, 2005), the first major show of Gilbert Stuart portraits since 1967.Carrie Rebora Barratt is Curator of American Paintings and Sculpture and Manager of the Henry R. Luce Center for the Study of American Art at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Ellen G. Miles is Curator of Painting and Sculpture at the National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.

Born in poverty in Rhode Island, Stuart became through his art the intimate of the great of two continents. Yet he never abandoned his disdain for worldly rank, or his fascination with character. He made huge sums in England, but spent even more in dissipation. Prison yawned for him, and he fled his creditors. During the thirty-five American years he painted with brilliance, creating a unique portrait manner. His rank as an artist was never questioned, but his nerves would not quiet.