Artist of the week
Powdered hair and rosy faces
Gilbert Stuart
Gilbert Stuart, the American portrait painter, from 1785 to around 1820. Captain John Gell in blue and gold points out to sea from a rocky shore, a ship behind him, and Josef de Jaudenes sits at a green table in a red suit stitched with silver. Then closer portraits: George Washington, white-haired, in black against green, John Shaw in a red chair with a book, Matthew Clarkson with a gold epaulette and a sword, and Mrs. Sigourney in a white turban and a red shawl.
As a puzzle
Faces first: Stuart’s heads are lit and rosy, framed by grey powdered hair and white linen, and they come together quickly. The dark coats and the smoky brown and green grounds are soft and slow, so save them for last. Jaudenes in red and silver and Captain Gell on his shore carry the most detail and take a moderate count; Washington and Mrs. Sigourney are mostly dark, so keep them low.
A good size here: 40–150 pieces.
Also filed under Early American Painting
Subjects here: Portraits
6 pictures, pick one to build
