Artwork
George Washington
George Washington is an oil painting by the American Impressionist artist Gilbert Stuart. It dates from 1821 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The subject is presented with the dignity and gravitas associated with his historical role, solidifying his status as a central figure in American iconography.
The work depicts George Washington, the first President of the United States, rendered as a formal portrait by Gilbert Stuart. Painted in 1821, this version is a later iteration based on Stuart's renowned Athenaeum Portrait, serving as a definitive visual representation of the nation's founder. As a portrait genre piece, the image functions as an iconic symbol of American leadership and the early republic.
The subject is presented with the dignity and gravitas associated with his historical role, solidifying his status as a central figure in American iconography. The painting's enduring presence in the National Gallery of Art underscores its significance as a primary artifact representing Washington's legacy and the symbolic weight of the presidency.
Technique & Style
The portrait of George Washington, painted by Gilbert Stuart in 1821, is executed in oil on a wooden panel. The work measures roughly 67 cm in height by 55 cm in width and belongs to the portrait genre within the broader classification of painting. Stuart's technique employs smooth brushwork and a restrained palette to render the sitter in a three-quarter view that conforms to early-nineteenth-century formal portrait conventions.
The support, a wooden panel, was a common medium for Stuart's commissioned portraits, allowing a durable surface for fine detail. The painting's condition is stable, with the oil layer remaining adhered to the panel without significant cracking or pigment loss.
History & Provenance
Gilbert Stuart's oil-on-wood portrait of George Washington is dated 1821. Its documented provenance begins with Colonel George Gibbs (1776–1833) of Sunswick Farm in Astoria, New York, for whom the portrait was painted, and passed to his widow, Laura Wolcott Gibbs (1794–1870). In 1872 the painting was sold through the New York dealer Jacob Hart Lazarus (1822–1891), acting as the Gibbs family's agent, to Thomas Jefferson Coolidge (1831–1920) of Boston; Lazarus forwarded it to Boston on 28 June 1872 with documents certifying that Stuart had painted it for Gibbs.
The work descended through three generations of the Coolidge family before being sold in 1979 to the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., where it is held under accession number 1979.5.1. No specific exhibition history is documented in the provided sources.
Overview
Gilbert Stuart's oil on wood portrait, George Washington, created around 1821, offers a depiction of the first President of the United States. The painting presents Washington in a seated posture, characterized by a serious expression and period attire. This work serves as a historical document, reflecting both the subject's public persona and the artistic conventions prevalent in early 19th-century American portraiture.
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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.
