Gilbert Stuart 1755 - 1828

Stewart Collection, Bath, England
Frost & Reed, London (acquired from the Stewart family, 1963)
M. Knoedler & Co., New York and London
Julius H. Weitzner, Inc., New York and London
Acquired by the present owner from the above, 1964

Raleigh, North Carolina, The North Carolina Museum of Art, North Carolina Collects, October 1967
New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art; George Washington: Man, Myth, Monument, Images from the Metropolitan, October 2004-February 2005

Please contact the department at 212-606-7280 to obtain a copy of the condition report prepared by Simon Parkes Art Conservation.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The present painting is based on the "Athenaeum" portrait of George Washington, which was painted by Stuart from life in 1796. The original portrait, now jointly owned by the National Portrait Gallery and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, received its name when it hung in the collection of the Boston Athenaeum.  

Despite gaining notoriety while abroad in England and Ireland, Stuart decided in 1793 on the financially advantageous move to return to America and paint the country's wealthiest and most politically prominent citizens. No one featured more significantly among Stuart's subjects then George Washington. In the case of Washington, Stuart painted three iconic portraits based on three distinct sittings. The first sitting established the Vaughan type, the second the Lansdowne type and the last, the Athenaeum type, which is the most famous and distinguished of the likenesses. The Athenaeum portrait gained immediate popularity and can be found on stamps, the United States one dollar bill and in public galleries nationwide.

In the Athenaeum portrait, Washington sits off center with his head turned slightly to the right. Set against a dark background, the warm tones of Washington's face contrast with his white hair and blue eyes. "Stuart made approximately seventy-five head-and-shoulders replicas of the Athenaeum portrait over the course of his long career. They all depict Washington in a black velvet suit and a white shirt with a ruffle of lace or linen." (Carrie Barratt and Ellen Milles, Gilbert Stuart, New York, 2004, p. 154) Stuart painted his last replica of the Athenaeum portrait in 1825 for a Baltimore art collector.