My answer; Do you know the history of the painting (how it passed into your hands). Do you know who it is?
These are the #1 questions that one should know. The majority of Stuart paintings are known and have been catalogued and if not in the catalogues (such as Lawrence Park volumes) & found at a later time, the portrait is added to the list known by the Stuart experts (such as my Meeker painting). As a Stuart portrait commanded a high sum of money, his sitters were generally from the upper classes; those who could afford his prices and who were often well-known in society (elite society being rather more closed and rarified in these early days). Stuart was famous during his lifetime, having painted commissions of George Washington, etc. These portraits would be handed down from generation to generation and treasured by the family, hanging in a place of prominence.
Knowing who the sitter is in a portrait is evidence of the portrait being handed down. It also can provide a time line of when the portrait was done, also a clue to whether the portrait is a Stuart.
The portrait above is a very good portrait, so I was very interested in the answer to my two questions.
However, I had already determined that this portrait was not a Stuart. It is a magnificent portrait. It shows a female half turned to the viewer sitting in an upholstered round backed chair, with no embellishment to her looks (Stuart famously did not beautify female looks often leading to disgruntlement). The flashes and dashes of color bring out the accents in her clothing, which could be from the time of Stuart or thereabouts. The background surrounding the sitter is a simple dark blend. However as Stuart once claimed "a portrait of mine is my signature." This portrait does not have his signature, neither figuratively nor literally (he did not sign his portraits.) The flesh tones do not shine with Stuart's deft touch, the overall impression is flatness of color. The second arm of the sitter in this portrait is not convincing, it has an oddness. Stuart had a formula for pricing. If the portrait included one arm and hand, the hand usually was holding something that indicated a clue as to the sitter's profession or interest. This portrait with the extra effort would be more expensive. Meeker is holding some papers, indicating his profession as a merchant.
The writer's answer confirmed my thoughts for the most part. "I had just picked it up at an outdoor flea market this morning. I know nothing about it. The seller had cleaned out a local estate, but knew nothing of the prior owners."
Thus the identity of this woman, once important enough in the family to have a great portrait of herself done, is now lost to her descendents. If she had been a Stuart, she would be hanging proudly either in a great residence, or a museum. But our writer has a fine portrait, a great piece of art. Does anyone know who she is?
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