Gilbert Stuart

Gilbert Stuart (1755–1828) was an American portrait painter whose unfinished Athenaeum portrait of George Washington became the basis for the image on the one-dollar bill.

Athenaeum Portrait: An unfinished portrait of George Washington painted by Gilbert Stuart in 1796. Its unfinished head became the source for Stuart’s later Washington portraits and the dollar-bill image.
Portrait painting: The practice of depicting a person’s appearance, character, or social identity in an image. Stuart’s career centered on making portraits that balanced likeness and public presence.
Newport, Rhode Island: A coastal city in Rhode Island founded in 1639 and known for its colonial-era architecture and maritime history. Stuart was born in Newport in 1755.
Martha Washington: The wife of George Washington and the first first lady of the United States. Stuart painted her pendant portrait alongside portraits of George Washington.
United States one-dollar bill: A United States paper currency note with a face value of one dollar. Its Washington engraving carries a likeness derived from Stuart’s Athenaeum portrait.
Lansdowne Portrait: A full-length portrait of George Washington painted by Gilbert Stuart in 1796. It contrasts with the Athenaeum’s close-up by presenting Washington as a statesman in a formal setting.
Oil painting: A painting technique that uses pigments bound with drying oil. Stuart used oil paint to build nuanced surfaces and model faces.
Scotland: A country in northwestern Europe that forms part of the United Kingdom. Stuart’s family emigrated from Scotland to Rhode Island during his childhood.
John Jay: An American statesman, diplomat, and jurist who became the first chief justice of the United States. Jay was among the prominent American sitters Stuart portrayed.
United States dollar: The official currency of the United States, issued as coins and paper notes. The dollar’s familiar Washington portrait helped extend Stuart’s work into everyday national life.

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