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Show . Gratitudeamericans Americans Owe Debt of Gratitude Gratitudeto americansto to Debts of Improvident PainterHarassed Painter Painterivioney land to Male Make MaleMoney MakeMoney His Creditors Abro Abroad d , Gilbert Stuart Returned to His Native Harassed by Familiar FamiliarPicture FamiliarPicture President . George . . . Washington's Washingtons ' Portrait and Produced the by Painting < iifixur - " Money uy i uiiiiin j . " ivioney " of His Country the Best Likeness of the "Father Father Picture Which WhlCh : Most of Us Regardas Regard as c p CWtittrn Western New Newspaper N w pap aper r Union By ByELMO ByELMO ELMO SCOTT WATSONAMONG WATSON WATSONAMONG AMONG the many face- face facehous facetious face-/-\ face facetious - XONG AMONG / - \ tious hous remarks attnb attrib attnbuted attributed attnb1 1- 1 1uted - uted toMark to . , Mark Twain Twam IS ISthIS isthis isthis thIS one ' If If George Washmgton Washington Wash | ington mgton should rise from the thedead thedead thedead dead and should not resem resem- resemble resemble resemble - ble the Stuart portrait , he hewould hewould would \ ould be denounced as an anImpostor animpostor animpostor Impostor ' Whether "Whether " Clemens Clemensor or some other humorist humonst de- de deserves deserves de deserves - serves credit for that witti wlth- wlth witti- wlthClsm witticism witticism - cism Clsm is not important The ThemterestIng Theinteresting Theinteresting mterestIng interesting thing thmg is how much ' truth spoken in m Jest hest ] est ' it con contams contains contains tams tains For the fact is that thatmllhons thatmillions thatmillions mllhons millions of Americans Amencans owe to toone toone toone one man morethan more - than -than to any anyother anyother anyother other , their idea ofr ofwhat of r ' what whatGeorge whatGeorge whatGeorge George Washington Waslllngton looked lookedlIke lookedlike lookedhke lIke ' and an additional addlhonal inter mter- mter inter- mterestmg interesting interesting - esting estmg tgict fact ct is that it s very verydoubtful verydoubtful verydoubtful doubtful if he * ' looked look'd lookd ( ' l1ke like l1kethat likethat likethat that at all ' ' That one man was Gllbert Gilbert GllbertCharles GilbertCharles GilbertCharles Charles Stuart and he gave gaveto gaveto gaveto to Americans their idea of ofWashmgton ofWashington ofWashington Washmgton Washington sappearancema sappearancemaportraIt s appearance in a aportrait aportrait portraIt portraIthlch \ which \\hlch hlch hich mCldentally Incidentally incidentallyhe , he never finished fimshed ' Who was this painter pamter " who "ho ho thus thuscomposed thuscomposed thuscomposed composed an unfinished sym symphony symphony symphony phony m ill in pOl poitraiture portraiture tralture of the fa famous famous famous mous man whose birthday we WIll WIllsoon willsoon willsoon soon be celebrating9 celebratmg celebrating - ? ' Was he like - John Jolm Trumbull TrumbuJI as-great as great as great a patrIot patriotas as hewas he was an artist and did he play playa a part in the struggle for libertyin lIbertym lIberty m in the Days of 76 7 ? Was he an anardent anardent anardent ardent admirer of Washmgton Washington Washmgtonand Washingtonand Washingtonand and did he paint his pictures of ofthe ofthe ofthe the great Virginian as a patrIotIc patrIotIcgIft patrioticgift patrioticgift gIft to posterity9 posterity ? ' Perhaps it willr will&tf will WlJI r &tf tf & 3 3A A Copy of the Vaughan Por For Portrait Fortrait Portrait trait of Washington Washlllgton Washingtonsurprise Washingtonsurprise surprise surpnse you to learn that the an answer ansorer answer swer sorer to all of these questions ISNo isNo is isNo No ' But that happens to be bethe bethe bethe the correct answerGilbert answer answerGilbert Gilbert Stuart was born near nearNewport nearNewport nearNewport Newport R I on December 3 31755 1755 His father . was v.as vas a snuff snuffgrmder snuffgrinder snuffgrinder grmder grinder a Scotsman who spelled spelledit It Stewart and gave his son sonthe sonthe sonthe the middle name of Charles m in mhonor inhonor inhonor honor of Bonnie Prince Prmce Char Charhe Charlie Charhe he lie the pretender to the throne throneof throneof throneof of Scotland Young Gilbert be began began began gan his artistic career by draw drawmg drawmg drawing mg pictures on the walls of barns barnsand barnsand barnsand and houses His talent attracted attractedthe attractedthe attractedthe the notice of Cosmo Alexander a Scotch aScotch painter pamter who visited New Newport Newport Newport port When Alexander returned to Scotland toScotland he took the boy with hIm hImand himand himand and enrolled him hzm in m the UnIverslty University Umver UnIver Umversity sity slty of Glasgow under S r George Chambers GeorgeChambers _ _ ChambersA A Prodigal s Return ReturnBoth Both of these patrons d ed edwltlun edwithin edwithin wltlun within a short time and young youngStuart Stuart returned to America In n Inrags nrags mrags rags but resoli resoh resols ed to make pamt paint Ing painting pamtIng his life We workAt work workAt At the outbreak of the Revolu Revolution tIon the elder Stuart who " was "as as a Tory aTory removed to Nova ScotIa Young ScotiaYoung desireto Stuart who had no desIre to give up his painting pamtmg nor to en enlist lIst in n a cause for which his faml fami ly farmly famlly family had any S sympathy ) mpathy decided to go togo to England In the spring sprmg of of1775 1775 he reached London almost penniless almostpenniless but getan managed to get in an < introduction mtroductIon to the celebrated BenJamIn celebratedBenjamin West and during the thenext next underhim underhzm four years studIedunder studied under talentwas talent'Was hzm him Recognition of his talent was 'Was ' quickly qUlckJ ) forthcoming and andwithin andwlthm wlthm within the next feears few fe\\ fe \ became years ) ears he be came one of the best known par por traIt portrait partraIt painters pamters in Europe DespIte Despitethe the fact that money poured In upon inupon him Stuart who was a lover loverof of good living hYIng and a free spender kept spenderkept little of itAfter it itAfter After several years of prosper Ity prosperity he married Charlotte Coates daughter Coatesdaughter of a Berkshire physiclan physlclan physician physl physi clan cian and decided to downto se tie down to a quiet life le l e His improvidenthabits IdenthabIts rdenthabits Impro\ Impro improt ImproIdent \ Ident rdent habIts persisted howe\ howe howet however howeer andafter \ er and after two years of married hfe life lifehe hfehe he found himself deeply deepJy in m debt } : A Ae AF At F ' e m t t % ' by - / pr prr r 3 ( - j-4 j 4 - - . c ggtic ggti j4ggti ggtiA A Copy of Stuart s ' Athenaeum Portrait ' of George nashmgton At last he and his wife went to toIreland toIreland toIreland Ireland to escape his credItors credItorsbut creditorsbut creditorsbut but they follo\\ follo follow followed folloed \ ed him thereMeanwhIle thereMeanwhile there thereMeanwhile Meanwhile the Revolution had hadended hadended hadended ended and the fame of George GeorgeWashmgton GeorgeWashington GeorgeWashington Washmgton Washington had spread around aroundthe aroundthe aroundthe the world Stuart saw in m thIs thIssItuatIon thissituation thissituation sItuatIon an opportunity to make makesome makesome makesome some money for he beheved belIeved that thatportraIts thatportraits thatportraits portraIts of the great WashIng WashIngton Washington Washington ton by the great painter pamter Stuart Stuartwould Stuartwould Stuartwould would command a high priceHe price pnce priceHe He Meets the PresIdentWhen PresidentWhen President When he landed in m n New YorkIn York Yorkin in 1792 he began making makmg ar arrangements arrangements arrangements rangements to have the Presl Presi Presldent President President dent sit for him but he did not notI notsucceed notsucceed notsucceed succeed unt until two ) i"ars iars years "ars ars " later 'later Rater 'laterWhIle RaterWhile ' laterWhile WhIle congress was in m session m in mPhIladelphIa inPhiladelphia inPhiladelphia I PhIladelphIa Stuart went there therewith therewith , with \ Ith a letter of introduction mtroductIon to toI toWashIngton toWashington toWashington I WashIngton from John Jay He HeI Hemet Hemet Hemet I met the President at a publ1c public publ1cI publicreception publicreception I receptIon and Washington Washmgton saId saIdhe saidhe saidhe he would be pleased to put hIm hImi himself himself i self selfat at the disposal of Stuart Stuartwhen Stuartwhen Stuartwhen when his public publ1c duties would per permlt permit permit mlt mit A series senes of sittings slttmgs soon soonwas soonwas soonwas was arrangedThe arrangedThe arranged arrangedThe The first was not a success successStuart successStuart successStuart Stuart who was a great wit and andwas andwas andwas was accustomed to joking Joh.1ng Joh1ng . wIth wIthhIs withhis withhis hIs subjects soon found hImself hImselfnen himselfnervous himselfnervous nen nervous ous in m n the presence of the thegreat thegreat thegreat great Washington Washmgton The Presl Presi Presldent President President dent was not at all conversationalStuart conversational conversationalStuart Stuart was not satisfied wIth wIththe withthe withthe the portrait which he painted pamted at atthat atthat atthat that time bme although art cntIcs critics cntIcsand criticsand criticsand and historians hlstor1ans believe beheve that it was wasprobably wasprobably wasprobably probably a more falthfulllkeness falthfulllkenessof faithful likeness likenessof likenessof of Vv Washington ashmgton than the more fa famous famows famous mous mows one which he painted pamted lat later later later er Soon afterwards Stuart de destrayed destroyed destroyed untilhe strayed stroyed this portrait but not untIl he Thesehave had made copies of it These have become known as the theGILBEL.T sli / s ! li lit t t Ywrl ! k GILBEL.T GILBELT GILBEIT GlL EI.T EIT . , . , SIUAR1 STUAR1 STUAR SIUAR1Vaughan ? soldthe Vaughan series since smce he sold the first to a v . wealthy ealthy Phlladel Philadel Philadelphian Phlladelphlan phlan phian by that nameAt name nameAt At a second sitting slttmg Stuart exe cuted cuteda executed nowknowna nowknownth a fuJIlength full length portrait now known a as the thi " i - - - Lansdowne - - - - - - - - POl por ' portrait traIt trait which was purchased by William Bmgham and to presentedto J.nrd-T J.nrdT J.nrd Jnrd T Lord . - Lansdowne _ . . .3-- .3 . .3jj - - - - presented - - - - - - of England Englandwhere - - - * jj * iallU where iallUwhere it is still owned ownedThe ownedThe The portrait that resulted from fromthe the themost thIrd thud slttmg sitting howe\ howe howeer \ er is the | most famous whichStuart of the three whIch Stuart , ti dId " < ' - from - - - - - - * v utii JIfe life me The T u'n un ' h he e Lansdowne Vaughan eVaughan and the Lans Lansv downe portraIts were made In thIrdpamted thirdpainted PhlJadelplua Philadelpha For the thIrd pamted painted In 1796 . * -v/ v - / WashIngton Washingtondiio dIO diio diioa diiowed studio agreed WashIngtonagreed ctsuingionagreed vctsuingionagreed a wed which hich hichc5 tohich to c5 come Stuart uarto uartohthe to hthe hthead had the ad adtaken taken takent takenn barn taken stu t In n inGermantown Germantown a suburb He was accompanied accompamed by Martha Wash Washington Washington ! mgton ington and other members of hIs hIsfamIly hisfamily hisfamilyHe famIly famIlyHe He Paints PalIlts George and MarthaAfter MarthaAfter Martha MarthaAfter After Stuart had painted pamted both boththe boththe boththe the President and Martha Wash Washmgton Washmgton Washington mgton they wished to buy the theportraIts theportraits theportraits portraIts But the painter pamter was wasso wasso wasso so pleased with his us } work that he hewas hewas hewas was reluctant to part with the thepIctures thepictures thepictures pIctures He delayed fimshmg finishing fimshmgthem finishingthem finishingthem them until he finally gained gamed con consent consent consent sent to retain retam the originals orIgmals and andmake andmake andmake make copies for the Washmg Washing Washmgtons Washingtons Washingtons tons They were satisfied wIth wIththIs withthis withthis thIs arrangement because they theyJJ1.ed theyliked theyliked JJ1.ed JJ1ed liked . the portrait of the PresIdent PresIdentbetter Presidentbetter Presidentbetter better than the two previous stud studles studies studles studlesPerhaps les ies lesPerhaps iesPerhaps Perhaps they might not have havebeen havebeen havebeen been so pleased if they had real realIzed realized realized Ized the purpose in m Stuart s mmd mind mmdFor mindFor mindFor For he immediately began mak makmg making making mg ing many copies of this portraIt portraItof portraitof of Washington Washmgton which he regard regarded regarded regarded ed edas sellingthem as pot boilers and sellIng them for $100 100 $ each In fact he hewas hewas hewas was accustomed to refer to them themas themas themas as his nest egg and his $100 100 $100pIeces $100pieces $100pieces 100pieces $ pIeces His daughter Jane JaneaIded Janeaided Janeaided aIded him m in making makmg many of ofthese ofthese ofthese these copies Stuart painting pamtmg the thehead head and his daughter complet completmg completing completing mg ing the pIctureThese pictureThese picture pictureThese These unfinished portraits of George ofGeorge and Martha WashIngton WashIngtonremamed Washingtonremained Washingtonremained remamed remained in the Stuart family un untIl until until Theywere tIl after the artist s death They were \ ere then offered to the state of Massachusetts ofMassachusetts for $1 1 $ 000 a prIce prIcewhIch pricewhich pricewhich dedined deelIned whIch that commonwealth de dedined elIned dined to pay In 1831 they were werepurchased werepurchased werepurchased purchased for $1 1 $ 500 by a group groupof of gentlemen and presented to tothe the Boston Athenaeum ( hence the thename thename thename name Athenaeum portrait ) which lent them to the Boston BostonMuseum Museum theyare of Fine Fme Arts where they are now keptOf keptOf kept keptOf Of this Athenaeum portraIt portrait'one portraitone ' one critic says It fails falls as true trueportraiture trueportraiture trueportraiture portraiture because in m n it the features thefeatures the expression the thepose pose all aJI are ideal rather than thanhuman human w1shedto wishedto In it Stuartw1shed Stuartwished Stuart wished w1shed | to idealize Ideal1ze a hero The motive IS self isself Vaughanportrait evident In the Vaughan portraIt Stuart was concerned only concernedonly with catching catclung the real man manon manon manon on canvas That is 1S a superb work workof workof workof of art a noble representation of ofa ofa ofa a noble man The r'he rhe : ; ' face reveals depth revealsdepth of mind mmd gentility of breed breeding breedmg mg strengthwIll strength will power a sense senseof senseof senseof understanding understandmg of humor and a rare g gift t of under standmg standing other men Above ev env erythmg erythng everythmg enverythng else it is humanAlthough humanAlthough human humanAlthough Although Stuart is rem remem em bered bored remembered embered remembored chifly chlfiy because of his por par traIts portraits partraits of Washington Washmgton he mIght mightwell well be remembered as the pamt paint painter pamter er ofmore of more notables than other anyother artist In his 50 busy any he yearshe ls IS saId said to tn have .iif iif . .iifi > made _ _ -i i - years morethan u u&c more & * * \/&c &c c \ / & than &cthan 1 000 portraits and these m in ineluded meluded eluded most of the leading leadmg andomen and menand \ women \\omen omen \ in m n the United Umted States men Statesnn&LindTroi Ingland England : & Troi Troii Ireland > -i i - - and _ - - France " " - - - - j- j jujl - * ujl ujlc -c c - But despite the fact |