Artwork
Captain Joseph Anthony
Captain Joseph Anthony is an oil painting by the American Impressionist artist Gilbert Stuart. It dates from 1794 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Captain Joseph Anthony sits in period dress, his face and clothing painted with close attention. Gilbert Stuart gives him the bearing of a man used to respect. Dated 1794, an early example of Stuart's American portraiture.
Subject & Meaning
The composition and realistic rendering typical of Stuart’s portraiture emphasize the subject’s dignity and the sitter’s place in the historical record.
The painting portrays Joseph Anthony, a notable early American figure, rendered by Gilbert Stuart in 1794 as an oil on canvas portrait. As a formal likeness, the work functions to document the sitter’s appearance and convey his social standing within early American society. The composition and realistic rendering typical of Stuart’s portraiture emphasize the subject’s dignity and the sitter’s place in the historical record.
The artwork’s provenance, documented from the sitter’s descendants through several owners before its acquisition by the National Gallery of Art, underscores its significance as a preserved example of 18th‑century American portraiture.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1794, this portrait utilizes oil paint applied to a canvas support. The work measures 91.5 centimeters in height by 71 centimeters in width. As a formal portrait, the composition focuses on the depiction of Captain Joseph Anthony.
The piece is classified within the genre of portraiture, consistent with Gilbert Stuart's broader oeuvre of painted likenesses from this period. The physical construction adheres to standard late eighteenth-century practices for oil paintings, employing traditional materials to render the sitter's features.
History & Provenance
Painted by Gilbert Stuart in 1794, this portrait of Captain Joseph Anthony remained within the sitter's family for over a century. Early records indicate ownership by the sitter's great-grandson, Thomas Duncan Smith, in Philadelphia by 1880, followed by his widow and subsequently their son, William Rudolph Smith. Following William's death, trustees sold the work on January 30, 1923, to New York collector Thomas B. Clarke.
After Clarke's death, the painting was auctioned as part of his collection on January 29, 1936, via M. Knoedler & Co. to the A.W. Mellon Educational and Charitable Trust in Pittsburgh. The trust donated the artwork to the National Gallery of Art in 1942.
The portrait of Captain Joseph Anthony by Gilbert Stuart has been part of the National Gallery of Art's collection in Washington, D.C. since it was gifted there in 1942. Its earlier owners included the sitter’s great‑grandson Thomas Duncan Smith and his descendants, and it entered the collection of Thomas B. Clarke before the Mellon Trust acquired it. The work was displayed in the 1880 Boston exhibition of portraits by Gilbert Stuart and was lent for the 1887 Loan Exhibition of Historical Portraits at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Its current display is within the museum’s permanent galleries.
Overview
This oil on canvas portrait, titled Captain Joseph Anthony, was completed by American artist Gilbert Stuart in 1794. The painting depicts Joseph Anthony, the individual for whom the work is named. Stuart's work is characteristic of late 18th-century portraiture, capturing the likeness of prominent figures of the era. The medium and subject matter align with the artist's established practice during this period.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Gilbert Stuart (né Stewart; December 3, 1755 – July 9, 1828) was an American painter born in the Rhode Island Colony who is widely considered one of America's foremost portraitists.
