Artwork
Philip Wager
Artist
Gilbert Stuart
(American, 1755 - 1828)
DepartmentAmerican Art
Dateca. 1802
MediumOil on panel
Dimensions28 3/4 x 23 3/4 in. (73 x 60.3 cm)
Credit LineSan Antonio Museum of Art, gift of Dr. and Mrs. Frederic G. Oppenheimer
Object number51.32.1
GeographyPlace madeGermantown, Pennsylvania, United States, North and Central America
Label TextFrom an upholstered red armchair, Philadelphia wine merchant Philip Wager pauses while reading a letter. Wager’s elegant black velvet suit and his fleshiness—in particular, his double chin—attest to his success. The portrait displays the rapid brushwork and delicate coloration of Gilbert Stuart, who painted Wager towards the end of an extremely successful eight-year residency in Philadelphia. Stuart had relocated his studio to then-rural Germantown, where Wager owned a farm, after being mobbed by eager spectators and would-be clients in central Philadelphia.
Born in Rhode Island, Stuart’s talents blossomed during his residency in Great Britain from 1775-1794, where he trained with fellow American expatriate Benjamin West. Once he returned to the U.S., Stuart created iconic images of George Washington. He secured numerous clients in New York, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and ultimately Boston—who were often frustrated by the painter’s notorious slowness to finish the works begun so exuberantly.
(William Keyse Rudolph, 2014)
Exhibition HistoryChicago: Art Institute and Arts ClubOn view
Collections
Fray Alonso López de Herrera
Culture: Spanish
early 17th century
The San Antonio Museum of Art is in the process of digitizing its permanent collection. This electronic record was created from historic documentation that does not necessarily reflect SAMA's complete or current knowledge about the object. Review and updating of such records is ongoing.
This resource has been made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the Human Endeavor.
