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The sitter's dress and coiffure reflect the new American aristocracy's desire to legitimize itself through association with historical styles of ancient Greece and Rome.

Stuart's portraits of George Washington and Federalist families in Philadelphia and Washington secured his place in history.

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Gilbert Stuart

Portrait of a Young Woman, about 1802-1804

oil on canvas

29 x 24 in.

Gift of Mr. and Mrs. William H. Ball

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Debt resulting from an inability to manage money kept Gilbert Stuart on the move much of his life.  Born in North Kingston, Rhode Island and raised in Newport, Stuart was taught by a local Scottish painter who took him to Scotland, but his mentor’s death forced Stuart back to America.  During the Revolutionary War, he returned to England to study with the American expatriate Benjamin West.  As success came, so did debt which forced Stuart to Dublin, Ireland and then to America, where he eventually became the most highly regarding portraitist of his day. A skillful master of his craft, Stuart painted directly on the canvas, without using any preliminary drawing. By the end of his career, Stuart had painted over a thousand portraits of important political figures.  One of his most famous portraits of George Washington was the “Athenaeum Head” currently on the dollar bill.

Although the pose and accessories are standard in this portrait, it is unusual among the artist’s works for the sitter’s rare loveliness.  Also exceptional is the influence of French Neo-Classicism in imbuing her with an idealized, if somewhat bland, beauty.  The Empire style of the girl’s dress and coiffure reflect the taste of the American aristocracy eager to legitimize itself through association with the historical past, specifically ancient Rome. 

Reference

Carrie Rebora Barratt, Ellen Gross Miles.  Gilbert Stuart, New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2004.  ISBN-13: 978-1588391247