Paul Revere by John Singleton Copely
This is one of Gilbert's earliest portraits, of his good friend in Newport RI Benjamin Waterhouse who went on to develop the smallpox vaccine introduced to America in 1800. It was painted in 1775 when Gibby was 20. According to Barratt & Miles in Gilbert Stuart p. 22 ...Stuart "studied his friend's face to a degree unprecedented in his previous work. He achieved a variety of flesh tones, glossy and matte areas on the complexion, and modelling of the head and adjacent hand, replete with folds and sinew, so convicingly that Waterhouse's cheek convincingly rests on his knuckles. Stuart mimicked Copely....." These authors then show the portrait of Paul Revere by John Singleton Copely, but I think the Copely portrait is not as.... simlar to Benjamin Waterhouse.....
as Angelica's portrait of Sir Joshua Reynolds (see below entry 3/11). Darn similar! The same positioning of the hand on the cheek, play of shadow and light, luminescence of the skin: The Copely portrait was done in 1769, and Angelica's 1767. Surely the portrait of Joshua Reynolds would be just as well known, if not more well known, than the Copely portrait? Perhaps Angelica had some ...influence?
Well, I am not an expert, but it sure is fun to speculate....
In my next entry (I think!), I will give the Provenance of Samuel Meeker. The provenance of a painting, aka history of ownership, is what helps to lend authenticity to a particular work.
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Benjamin Waterhouse; 1775 by Gilbert Stuart; Redwood Library & Athenaeum, RI
This is one of Gilbert's earliest portraits, of his good friend in Newport RI Benjamin Waterhouse who went on to develop the smallpox vaccine introduced to America in 1800. It was painted in 1775 when Gibby was 20. According to Barratt & Miles in Gilbert Stuart p. 22 ...Stuart "studied his friend's face to a degree unprecedented in his previous work. He achieved a variety of flesh tones, glossy and matte areas on the complexion, and modelling of the head and adjacent hand, replete with folds and sinew, so convicingly that Waterhouse's cheek convincingly rests on his knuckles. Stuart mimicked Copely....." These authors then show the portrait of Paul Revere by John Singleton Copely, but I think the Copely portrait is not as.... simlar to Benjamin Waterhouse.....
as Angelica's portrait of Sir Joshua Reynolds (see below entry 3/11). Darn similar! The same positioning of the hand on the cheek, play of shadow and light, luminescence of the skin: The Copely portrait was done in 1769, and Angelica's 1767. Surely the portrait of Joshua Reynolds would be just as well known, if not more well known, than the Copely portrait? Perhaps Angelica had some ...influence?
Well, I am not an expert, but it sure is fun to speculate....
In my next entry (I think!), I will give the Provenance of Samuel Meeker. The provenance of a painting, aka history of ownership, is what helps to lend authenticity to a particular work.
~
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