Gilbert Stuart’s Unfinished Portrait of George Washington
Gilbert Stuart first painted George Washington in 1795 (in a work now known only from copies). That painting was so successful that, according to artist Rembrandt Peale, Martha Washington “wished a Portrait for herself.” She persuaded her husband to sit again for Stuart “on the express condition that when finished it should be hers.” Stuart, however, did not want to part with the picture and left it unfinished so that he could refer to it when producing future commissions. Known as the “Athenaeum” portrait because it went to the Boston Athenaeum after Stuart’s death, this painting served as the basis for the engraving of Washington that appears on the one-dollar bill. John Neal, an early-nineteenth-century writer and art critic, wrote, “Though a better likeness of him were shown to us, we should reject it; for, the only idea that we now have of George Washington, is associated with Stuart’s Washington.” (National Portrait Gallery)
Gilbert Stuart’s portrait, the portrait on the current US $1 bill
Today’s SEE & RESPOND Challenge
Finish this portrait by Gilbert Stuart
Media is artist’s choice
#georgewashington
Post it
To be eligible for prizes (yes prizes!) at the end of the month, post your work to Instagram with #30sal and #georgewashington so we can find your post.
To find more followers for your page, you can cut/paste these to your post:
DAY 11: BEFORE AND AFTER https://seattleartistleague.padlet.org/SAL/dvmaz3zn3za0146v
DAY 10: MORANDI https://seattleartistleague.padlet.org/SAL/8yxbfsoudzf2uq81
Deadline for Prizes
Deadline for submissions: 3 days after each challenge post.
January prize winners will be announced in February.
To learn more about the 30SAL Challenge, click here.
Fun Fact: In 1862 the first one-dollar bill was issued as a Legal Tender Note (United States Note) with a portrait of Salmon P. Chase, the Secretary of the Treasury who served under President Abraham Lincoln. George Washington didn’t appear on the note until 1869
I’ve made you wait long enough. One artist’s posts knocked my fluffy socks off this month. This artist showed an impressive amount of dedication and creative talent. Big League Membership The big prize for the 30SAL Challenge is Big League: a $150 Big League Membership to the League. Big League Memberships come with some big …
[image_with_animation image_url=”10166″ alignment=”center” animation=”None” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”] Max Ernst “Painting is not for me either decorative amusement, or the plastic invention of felt reality; it must be every time: invention, discovery, revelation.” – Max Ernst Max Ernst used texture rubbings to overcome his fear of the white canvas, igniting his imagination. He often put paper to the worn …
After posting the Japanese funerary artworks of Haniwa from the 3rd through the 6th centuries, I was curious what other cultures around the world were making for funerary art at that time. First I posted Haniwa, then I posted Roman Catacomb frescoes, and today I have ceramic figurines from ancient China. These ceramic attendants were …
Day 12: Gilbert Stuart’s Unfinished Portrait of George Washington #30SAL
Gilbert Stuart’s Unfinished Portrait of George Washington
Gilbert Stuart first painted George Washington in 1795 (in a work now known only from copies). That painting was so successful that, according to artist Rembrandt Peale, Martha Washington “wished a Portrait for herself.” She persuaded her husband to sit again for Stuart “on the express condition that when finished it should be hers.” Stuart, however, did not want to part with the picture and left it unfinished so that he could refer to it when producing future commissions. Known as the “Athenaeum” portrait because it went to the Boston Athenaeum after Stuart’s death, this painting served as the basis for the engraving of Washington that appears on the one-dollar bill. John Neal, an early-nineteenth-century writer and art critic, wrote, “Though a better likeness of him were shown to us, we should reject it; for, the only idea that we now have of George Washington, is associated with Stuart’s Washington.” (National Portrait Gallery)
Today’s SEE & RESPOND Challenge
Finish this portrait by Gilbert Stuart
Media is artist’s choice
#georgewashington
Post it
To be eligible for prizes (yes prizes!) at the end of the month, post your work to Instagram with #30sal and #georgewashington so we can find your post.
To find more followers for your page, you can cut/paste these to your post:
#30sal #georgewashington #portrait #unfinished #unfinishedportrait #unfinishedpainting #vnotes #creativechallenge #januarychallenge #drawingchallenge #drawing #art #sketch #artchallenge #artist #draw #artistsoninstagram #sketchbook #instaart #artwork #drawingoftheday #dailydrawing #oilpainting #mixedmedia #drawingsketch #artoftheday #creativity
Padlet
Don’t have Instagram? Post your work to Padlet.
DAY 12: GEORGE WASHINGTON https://seattleartistleague.padlet.org/SAL/ewht7nr1bszm24sy
DAY 11: BEFORE AND AFTER https://seattleartistleague.padlet.org/SAL/dvmaz3zn3za0146v
DAY 10: MORANDI https://seattleartistleague.padlet.org/SAL/8yxbfsoudzf2uq81
Deadline for Prizes
Deadline for submissions: 3 days after each challenge post.
January prize winners will be announced in February.
To learn more about the 30SAL Challenge, click here.
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