Gilbert Stuart: ALASKA

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

ALASKA

Kasilof, on the Kenai Peninsula. Becky's house. Me, doggie Aleutia.

Becky is a childhood friend, her parents and my parents were friends in Ukiah, Ca. in the late 1950s. Her father was in the lumber business in northern California.

Noah (Becky's youngest son) and my daughter Lily

A view from the guest house where we stayed the first night, had Reindeer sausage for breakfast.

A happy moose.

"Veronica's" in Ninilchik. We planned a big party there, it was closed.

Alaskan toys.

happy kids

Aleutia

doggie to my rescue

Homer, at Dean's house (winner of Iditarod 1984)

Ninilchik

approaching Homer

3 comments:

Maureen said...: Beautiful but too cold!; February 21, 2010 5:02 PM
Kathy said...: Love the pics! You look great and Lily is absolutely gorgeous and so grown-up!!! Where has the time gone???; February 21, 2010 6:33 PM
The Clever Pup said...: wow - It looks like a great place to have Christmas. My home town is pretty snowy too. I was there recently and went out to a place for dinner where most of the customers come on snowmobiles.

Your friend's home looks like a blast.; February 22, 2010 7:22 AM

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was painted by Gilbert Stuart, master of making faces (portraiture). The year was 1803.

Samuel Meeker (1763-1831) was a man who seemed to be able to balance his life between the creation of wealth in the financially flourishing city Philadelphia, and the pursuit of happiness in the undisturbed quiet of nature at his country estate "Fountain Green" on the banks of the Schuylkill River.

This is a report on Samuel Meeker, the man in the portrait; who he is, the story of the portrait in my family, his ancestors and descendants (including myself and my daughter Lily), and last but not least Gilbert Stuart the artist, his sitters, and their stories. Gradually, with light being shed on these individuals at the turn of the century, life in Philadelphia begins to shine through...the good, the bad, the scintilating, &...the titillating!

To view all the posts since the beginning simply scroll down leisurely and view the posts on the left, skip ones that are not of interest etc, you will eventually reach my very first entry in Dec 08, when I decided to start writing down all that I knew on this topic. For all entries solely pertaining to my ancestor Samuel Meeker (ie not on the artist or other portraits/personalities etc), scroll down and on the right side you will find "Labels"; click on Samuel Meeker. All entries that have been labeled with Samuel Meeker will then appear on the left. Whatever label you click on, the relevant posts will show on the left. You are also able to do a search for a particular sitter, or topic within this blog.

For a closer view of a photo or graphic, click directly on it.

As I began to research the identity of the painter of this family portrait (said to be by Peale), I ...1) figured out it was done by the artist Gilbert Stuart and ...2) the character of the artist began to interest me as much as my relative. Thus this report also reflects my continuing fascination with ...Gilbert Stuart...In addition to reading posts, the 'comments' might also be of interest (just click on the word 'comments' at the bottom of the post), to read more relevant info/insights to the posts. Feel free to add your own comments as well!

Elizabeth

Lawrence Park 1873-1924

Often in this report you will see the words, "From Lawrence Park" in the description of a Stuart painting.
Lawrence Park accumulated the most exhaustive catalogue raisonné of the works of Gilbert Stuart, compiled in four large volumes. The first two volumes provide descriptives of the works, the second two volumes depict the correlating images. As his interest in family portraits became an all-absorbing passion, he began to collect data on all early American portrait painters, cataloguing and describing the pictures. For his collection of Gilbert Stuart works, he also depended on the willingness of the many owners of Stuart portraits to co-operate. To his letters of inquiry, replies from all parts of this country and from abraod came to the town where he was living. However Lawrence, whose deep interest and intense work for more than ten years made the publication of these volumes possible, died before their completion.
Not all portraits were found, not all named. A number of portraits are entitled "Portrait of a Gentleman", or, "Portrait of a Lady." It seems the higher the sitter was on the list of celebrity (ie a president, five sat for him!), the more one can rest assured the portrait is listed by Park. Or, if a portrait was bought and sold on the market, or shown in exhibition, its chances were increased of 'being found.' The portrait of Samuel Meeker is of a merchant, not a celebrated politician, the portrait remained quietly in the hands of the family; by this time had already been transplanted to California. It was not found by Lawrence Park.
The volumes were published in 1926, and are dedicated to all those who helped him in his work.

Sources often used

Gilbert Stuart, by Carrie Rebora Barratt, Ellen Miles; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Yale University Press, New Haven & London, 2004
~
History of the Rise and Progress of The Arts of Design in the United States, Vol. I by William Dunlap; Dover Publications, New York, N.Y. 1969 (the original from 1834.)
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The Genius of Gilbert Stuart, by Dorinda Evans, Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey, 1999
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Gilbert Stuart, An Illustrated Descriptive List of his Works in 4 Volumes, by Lawrence Park, Printing House of William Edwin Rudge, New York, 1926
~
The Life and Works of Gilbert Stuart, by George Mason, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, 1894

Gilbert Stuart

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

ALASKA

3 comments:

MY ANCESTOR, Samuel Meeker merchant of Philadelphia, descendant of William Meeker associate of NJ

was painted by Gilbert Stuart, master of making faces (portraiture). The year was 1803.

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