Stephen Van Rensselaer III
1793/1795
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
overall: 91.7 x 71.3 cm (36 1/8 x 28 1/16 in.) framed: 113 x 92.7 x 6.7 cm (44 1/2 x 36 1/2 x 2 5/8 in.)
Classification
Painting
Department
CAB
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Andrew W. Mellon Collection
Accession Number
1942.8.20
Art Historical Context
Behold Gilbert Stuart's masterful portrait *Stephen Van Rensselaer* (1793/1795), a quintessential example of early American portraiture. Painted in oil on canvas—a medium prized for its luminous depth and ability to render fine textures like silk fabrics and human skin— this work measures 91.7 x 71.3 cm, capturing the subject at a scale that commands attention in the National Gallery of Art American collection (Andrew W. Mellon Collection). Van Rensselaer III, a prominent New York landowner, politician, and military leader during the nation's formative years, embodies the patrician elite of ...
About the Artist
Gilbert Stuart
Gilbert Stuart (1755–1828) was born on December 3, 1755, in Saunderstown, Rhode Island. He received his first painting instruction from local portraitist Samuel King, then studied under Scottish artist Cosmo Alexander who brought him to Scotland in 1771. After Alexander died, Stuart returned to Newport before sailing to London in 1775, where he entered the studio of Benjamin West for approximately...