Stephen Van Rensselaer III
Particulars
- Accession number
- 1942.8.20
Meanwhile, in the life of Gilbert Stuart
The whole life1793
Returns to the United States to paint Washington
After 18 years in Britain and Ireland, leaving numerous unfinished paintings behind, Stuart returns with a plan to paint a portrait of Washington, have an engraver reproduce it and support his family from the sale of the engraving. Settling briefly in New York, he seeks commissions from influential people who could bring him to Washington’s attention.
1794
Paints John Jay and gets a letter to Washington
His portrait of the statesman John Jay brought Stuart a letter of introduction to Washington.
1795
Washington sits for Stuart
Later that year Washington posed for him. Stuart painted him in a series of iconic portraits, each of which brought a demand for copies and kept him busy and highly paid for years.
1795
Opens a studio near Philadelphia
In 1795 he moves to Germantown, a suburb of Philadelphia, and opens a studio there. In his Philadelphia years he also painted the Spanish ambassador Josef Jaudenes, who commissioned a portrait for his wedding to an American woman.
![Young Man [verso], Pablo Picasso, c. 1906](https://api.nga.gov/iiif/b6ecb7bc-192d-46f8-a4c9-8dfb5dd52abb/full/!2400,2400/0/default.jpg)
