Gilbert Stuart (Library of American Art)

A comprehensive life of the accomplished portraitist of the new Republic, from his early youth in Rhode Island to his famous painting of Washington

To some, Gilbert Stuart is merely the artist whose portrait of George Washington stared from nearly every classroom in the country at one time. He was, of course, as this book beautifully displays, one of this country's finest artists. Beginning as a Colonial primitive, Stuart limited himself to portrait painting, and achieved international fame before his death in 1828. McLanathan ably presents a clear, intelligent biography that is profusely illustrated with 51 color reproductions and 50 black-and-whites. This brief treatment of Stuart's life is not meant to compete with the only major biography to date, Charles Merrill Mount's Gilbert Stuart, a Biography (Norton, 1964). However, its inclusion of recent research and its splendid reproductions make it highly desirable for most collections.Daniel J. Lombardo, Jones Lib., Inc., Amherst, Mass.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.