(British/America, 1775-1806)

George Washington, after Gilbert Stuart (American, 1755-1828), unsigned, oil on canvas, 28-3/4 x 24 in.; original carved gilt wood and composition frame, 35 x 30 in.

Note: William Winstanley was a somewhat legendary English painter known for his landscapes and his copies of Gilbert Stuart's portraits, but also for his escapades. He had patrons in both George Washington and Alexander Hamilton, among others. This is one of many copies Winstanley did of Stuart's portraits of Washington, creating bust length versions from the heads in Stuart's masterworks. The full length portrait of Washington in the collection of the White House, originally thought to have been by Stuart, has also been re-attributed to Winstanley. According to Dr. Dorinda Evans, this Winstanley directly relates to one at the Wilderstein Historic Site in Rhinebeck, NY. This lot is accompanied by a letter from Dr. Dorinda Evans discussing this painting as a Winstanley copy of Gilbert Stuart's Lansdowne Portrait, now in the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.

Provenance: Private Collection, Baltimore, Maryland

recently conserved by Yost Conservation. See full conseration report online.