Artwork
Luke White
Luke White is an oil painting by the American Impressionist artist Gilbert Stuart. It dates from 1787 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
Gilbert Stuart's 1787 portrait of Luke White is executed in oil paint on a canvas support.
Gilbert Stuart's 1787 portrait of Luke White is executed in oil paint on a canvas support. As a formal portrait, the work adheres to the conventions of the genre, presenting the sitter in a composed manner typical of Stuart's late-eighteenth-century practice. The painting measures 76.2 centimeters in height and 63.5 centimeters in width.
The work is held within the Andrew W. Mellon collection at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.
History & Provenance
The portrait of Luke White was painted in 1787 by Gilbert Stuart. Upon completion, it entered the sitter's family through his daughter, Matilda White Massy, who inherited it at Killakee, County Dublin. Ownership later passed to her son, John Thomas William Hamon, 6th Baron Massy.
The painting was sold from the Massy estate at Killakee on 16 February 1916 (lot 622), purchased by T. K. Laidlaw, and subsequently sold in Dublin. It was consigned to M. Knoedler & Co. in New York by October 1919, then bought by American collector Thomas B. Clarke on 11 December 1919. Clarke's estate sold the work in 1936 via Knoedler to The A. W. Mellon Educational and Charitable Trust, which donated it to the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., in 1942.
Overview
Gilbert Stuart painted this oil on canvas portrait of Luke White around 1787. The artwork captures its namesake, a man depicted seated, offering a glimpse into late 18th-century portraiture. Stuart, known for his ability to convey character, rendered White with a serious demeanor, characteristic of the period's formal representations of individuals.
Subject & Meaning
The painting presents Luke White in a seated pose, dressed in the fashion of the late eighteenth century. His serious expression and formal attire are typical of portraits from this era, which often aimed to convey the sitter's status and gravity. Stuart's depiction provides insight into the social conventions and personal presentation prevalent during the period when the artwork was created.
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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.
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