A portrait of former United States President George Washington (1789-1797), the work of popular portrait painter Gilbert Stuart and which inspired the design of the $1 bill, was auctioned this Friday for $2.8 million at Christie’s headquarters in New York.
The oil painting, in which the country’s first president wears a ruffled shirt and looks at the painter with a serious face, exceeded the estimated price (between 500,000 and 1 million dollars) after a fierce bidding that ended with applause and cheers from the public.
The piece had captured the interest of the press as it was one of more than one hundred portraits of Stuart that served as a model to create the image of Washington that appears on the one dollar bill.
The painting was also enhanced by the fact that former President James Madison commissioned the work from Stuart in 1804, while he served as Secretary of State under the administration of Thomas Jefferson.
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This information has had a “great impact” and has caught the attention of new buyers, according to Marta Willoughby, a consultant specializing in Christie’s, who before the sale was confident that the painting would exceed its estimated price.
According to the entity, the emblematic painting “reflects the reverence and respect” given to Washington “by those who knew him best,” and also serves as an example of the “virtuosity” of Stuart, one of the most relevant portrait painters of his time.
Stuart, who throughout his career painted the first six presidents of the United States, is best known for ‘The Athenaeum Portrait’, an unfinished portrait of George Washington dated 1796.
The painting auctioned today, until now owned by Clarkson University (Potsdam, New York), was sold along with 43 other works in the ‘America at 250’ auction, which celebrates the 250 years of the independence of the United States with pieces related in one way or another to the history of the country.
In total, the auction raised $35.5 million and sold 96% of the pieces, according to a statement from Christie’s.
Among the most expensive works in the sale were a printed copy of a draft of the US Constitution with corrections by Rufus King, considered one of the founding fathers, which reached $7.4 million, as well as a copy of the Emancipation Proclamation signed by Abraham Lincoln and auctioned for $6.7 million.
“This has been a historic sale in many ways. We brought together works of exceptional importance and captured the attention of the market. Furthermore, we are proud that this auction has also attracted a completely new audience to Christie’s,” noted auction director Peter Klarnet in the statement.
With information from EFE
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