ticketsMember | Make a donation

Portrait of the Artist

ca. 1786
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 774
Preserved on a label found on the back of this picture are excerpts from a letter dated December 6, 1884, in which Jane Stuart, the artist's youngest daughter, wrote of the work and her father, "He painted a small sketch of himself for my mother (in London after great persuasion) but could not be induced to finish it." This suggests that the portrait was painted when Stuart was about age thirty, shortly after his marriage to Charlotte Coates on May 10, 1786. Stuart's sketchily indicated tousled hair and sunken eyes emphasize both his proud and irritable character and his working method.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Portrait of the Artist
  • Artist: Gilbert Stuart (American, North Kingston, Rhode Island 1755–1828 Boston, Massachusetts)
  • Date: ca. 1786
  • Culture: American
  • Medium: Oil on canvas
  • Dimensions: 10 5/8 x 8 7/8 in. (27 x 22.5 cm)
  • Credit Line: Fletcher Fund, 1926
  • Object Number: 26.16
  • Curatorial Department: The American Wing

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Plaque of George Washington, Gilbert Stuart American, Painted glass
Plaque of George Washington
Gilbert Stuart
1776–1830
Thomas Smith, Gilbert Stuart American, Oil on canvas, American
Thomas Smith
Gilbert Stuart
1785–87
George Washington, from Stuart's Celebrated Painting in the Boston Athenaeum
Multiple artists/makers
1863
John Quincy Adams, Sixth President of the United States
Multiple artists/makers
1834–40
James DeLancey, Gilbert Stuart American, Oil on canvas, American
James DeLancey
Gilbert Stuart
ca. 1785

Related Content

Timeline of Art History

Entries from The Met's art encyclopedia.

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.