Origins & Early Life

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. His best-known work is an unfinished portrait of George Washington, begun in 1796, which is usually referred to as the Athenaeum Portrait. Stuart retained the original and used it to paint scores of copies that were commissioned by patrons in America and abroad. The image of George Washington featured in the painting has appeared on the United States one-dollar bill for more than a century and on various postage stamps of the 19th century and early 20th century.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Stuart produced portraits of about 1,000 people, including the first six Presidents. His work can be found today at art museums throughout the United States and the United Kingdom, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Frick Collection in New York City, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., the Philadelphia Museum of Art in Philadelphia, the National Portrait Gallery in Washington D.C., the National Portrait Gallery in London, England, the Worcester Art Museum in Worcester, Massachusetts, and the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. ��2...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun — Contemporary (Born in 1755) (1755): Master portraitist bridging Rococo grace with Neoclassical structure.
• Marie Antoinette — Contemporary (Born in 1755) (1755): Queen of France, wife of Louis XVI, during the tumultuous French Revolution.
• Montesquieu — Contemporary (Died in 1755) (1755): Founding theorist of the separation of powers and modern political philosophy.
• Dugald Stewart — Contemporary (Died in 1828) (1828): Key figure of the Scottish Enlightenment, renowned philosopher and mathematician.
• Francisco Goya — Contemporary (Died in 1828) (1828): Pioneering Spanish master bridging the Old and Modern eras of art.
• Franz Schubert — Contemporary (Died in 1828) (1828): Master of the German Lied, Schubert's prolific output defined the early Romantic era.
• Anna Freud — Shared historical date (12-03 · Born) (1895): Pioneering psychoanalyst known for child psychology and ego theory.
• Anton Webern — Shared historical date (12-03 · Born) (1883): Radical modernist composer of the Second Viennese School, known for atonal and twelve-tone techniques.
• Amanda Knox — Shared historical date (07-09 · Born) (1987): American author and comedian known for her highly publicized trial in Perugia, Italy.
• Amedeo Avogadro — Shared historical date (07-09 · Died) (1856): Pioneering Italian scientist known for Avogadro's law on gas volumes and molecular theory.
• 1755 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1755
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• 1828 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1828
• July 9 (07-09) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on July 9