Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry
Artist: Jane Stuart (American, 1812-1888)
Artist: Gilbert Stuart (American, 1755-1828)
Date: 1818-1828
Dimensions:
Frame: 34 × 28 7/8 × 3 1/8 in. (86.4 × 73.3 × 7.9 cm)
Medium: Oil on wood panel
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: Purchased with funds from the Florence Scott Libbey Bequest in Memory of her Father, Maurice A. Scott
Object number: 1967.140
Label Text:In 1818 the Rhode Island General Assembly commissioned prominent portraitist Gilbert Stuart to paint a full-length portrait of naval officer Oliver Hazard Perry (1785–1819), a native of that state. Perry became a national hero in the War of 1812 after defeating a British squadron near Put-in-Bay, Ohio, in the Battle of Lake Erie. Though the full-length portrait was never carried out, Perry sat for this likeness just before leaving for a mission in the West Indies, where he died of yellow fever on his 34th birthday. Stuart was notorious for leaving paintings unfinished, however, and completed only the head.
Years later, Stuart’s 16-year-old daughter Jane completed the sky, body, and uniform of the portrait that her father had left incomplete. She had essentially grown up in her father's studio, helping him with chores like grinding pigments, while absorbing the lessons he gave to his students. This oil painting remains one of the most famous portraits of Perry.
Years later, Stuart’s 16-year-old daughter Jane completed the sky, body, and uniform of the portrait that her father had left incomplete. She had essentially grown up in her father's studio, helping him with chores like grinding pigments, while absorbing the lessons he gave to his students. This oil painting remains one of the most famous portraits of Perry.
On view
In Collection(s)