George Washington (ca. 1803) by Gilbert Stuart

Gilbert Stuart (1755–1828), American, Best remembered for his iconic portraits of American founding figures, this Rhode Island-born painter became one of the most influential portraitists of the early United States. His deft handling of light and texture brought a vivid immediacy to his subjects, balancing grandeur with psychological depth. Though trained in London under Benjamin West, he developed a distinctive style that rejected stiff formalism in favor of lively, almost conversational realism. The unfinished edges of his *George Washington* portraits—loose brushstrokes suggesting cravats or coat collars—became a trademark, lending an air of spontaneity to formal commissions.
Financial troubles dogged him despite his fame; he often sold replicas of popular works rather than parting with originals. Yet his legacy endured through students like Thomas Sully and the sheer ubiquity of his images—his "Athenaeum" portrait of Washington remains the basis for the dollar bill. Beyond technical skill, his work captured the fragile humanity of a nation’s founders, from John Adams’ shrewd intensity to Dolley Madison’s warmth. Critics sometimes dismissed his commercial output as uneven, but at his best, he transformed portraiture from mere record into a dialogue between artist, subject, and history.