Gilbert Stuart

Born in the Rhode Island Colony in 1755, Gilbert Stuart is celebrated as one of America's most important portrait painters. His early talent was recognized in Newport, Rhode Island, where he studied with Scottish artist Cosmo Alexander. After Alexander's death, Stuart's prospects as a painter were threatened by the American Revolution, leading him to depart for England in 1775. There, he became a protégé of Benjamin West and gained significant acclaim, particularly after the…