Page:An Elementary History of Art.djvu/680

 650 Painting painted the earliest authentic likenesses of Washington, who subsequently appears to have obligingly sat to a number of artists. His son, Rembrandt Peale (1787—1860), after a short career as a portrait painter in Charlestown, South Carolina, went to London and studied under West. He also resided for some time in Paris, where he painted, among other pictures, portraits for his father's museum. His Por- trait of Washington was purchased by Congress for 2000 dollars. Gilbert Charles Stuart (1756—1828), one of the best portrait painters of America, was born at Narragansett, in Rhode Island, of Scotch and Welsh descent. He received his instruction in art at Newport from Cosmo Alexander, who took him to Scotland with him, but Stuart returned to America soon afterwards. In 1781 he went again to Great Britain, studied under West, and established himself as a portrait painter in London, where he enjoyed the friendship and society of some of the famous men of the day. It was during this visit that he painted the fine por- trait of Mr. Grant skating, exhibited at the Exhibition of Works by the Old Masters in 1875. In 1793 he returned to America, and after residing in New York, Washington and Philadelphia, he re-established himself finally, in 1806, at Boston, where he continued to paint with uninterrupted success until his death. His works are commonly seen both in the public and private galleries in America. His chef-d'oeuvre is his Portrait of Wash- ington. His pupil, James Frothingham, also acquired fame as a portrait painter. John Trumbull (1756 — 1843), the historic painter, born at Lebanon, Connecticut, was one of the best of the early