Richard Yates

The portrait of Richard Yates was painted by Gilbert Stuart in 1793 as an oil on canvas work. It remained in the Yates family, passing from the sitter’s daughter Catherine Yates Pollock and her husband George Pollock to their son Carlile Pollock, then to Catherine’s sister Marie Louise Pollock Chiapella and subsequently to her son Henry Chiapella and niece Louise Chiapella Formento. In 1911 the painting was sold to Isaac Monroe Cline, and on 16 January 1918 it was purchased by Thomas B. Clarke; after Clarke’s estate sale in 1936 the work passed through M. Knoedler & Co. to the A. W. Mellon Education and Charitable Trust, which gifted it to the National Gallery of Art in 1940.

The 1793 portrait of Richard Yates by Gilbert Stuart, now in the National Gallery of Art, exemplifies the artist’s mature portraiture and has been cited in scholarship on early American elite representation. Its acquisition through the Andrew W. Mellon collection in 1940 cemented its status as a key work in U.S. museum holdings, influencing subsequent exhibitions and studies of Stuart’s output. Provenance records trace the painting from the Yates family through New Orleans dealers to Thomas B. Clarke and finally to the museum, underscoring its recognized cultural value over more than a century. The work’s continued scholarly reference highlights its lasting reputation within the canon of American portraiture.

Gilbert Stuart's 1794 oil on canvas painting, titled "Richard Yates," presents a formal portrait of its namesake. This work exemplifies Stuart's significant contribution to portraiture during the late 18th century, a period when he was actively capturing the likenesses of notable individuals. The painting serves as a visual record of a figure from that era, rendered with the artist's characteristic attention to detail and realism.

Created in 1794, "Richard Yates" aligns with Gilbert Stuart's established practice of painting portraits of significant individuals. Stuart gained considerable acclaim for his ability to capture the likenesses of many key figures of the American founding era. This painting reflects his consistent engagement with the leading personalities of his time, contributing to a visual archive of the period's notable citizens.