Gilbert Charles Stuart (1755 1828) was a leading American portraitist best known for the unfinished 1796 Athenaeum portrait of George Washington, the likeness from which appears on the one-dollar bill. He painted more than 1,000 sitters, including the first six U.S. presidents, and produced widely copied portraits such as the Lansdowne Washington.
Gilbert Stuart at a glance
- Born: 3 December 1755, Saunderstown, Rhode Island
- Died: 9 July 1828, Boston, Massachusetts
- Nationality: American
- Known for: Portraits of George Washington and the first six U.S. presidents
- Training: Cosmo Alexander in Scotland, then Benjamin West in London
- Signature works: Athenaeum Washington (1796), Lansdowne Washington, The Skater (1782)
- Collections: Metropolitan Museum of Art, National Gallery of Art, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Born in Rhode Island, Stuart trained briefly in Scotland and then under Benjamin West in England, gaining fame with works like The Skater. He returned to America to secure Washington’s portrait, kept the original Athenaeum to reproduce for patrons, and later worked in Boston. Despite critical success, he struggled with finances; his birthplace is now a museum preserving his legacy.
