Description
Elizabeth Beltzhoover Mason presents Gilbert Stuart’s interpretation of its named subject through a deliberately organized composition. The arrangement directs attention across the canvas in measured stages, connecting the main subject to the space and forms around it.
Gilbert Stuart’s treatment of atmosphere and form gives the image a presence that extends beyond its immediate subject. The balance between active detail and calmer space gives the composition room to develop without weakening its main point of focus. The result is an image whose mood and structure become richer as the viewer notices the connections between its larger and smaller passages.
In a hand-painted reproduction, the work is rebuilt through successive layers of oil color rather than mechanically printed. The result combines the accessibility of a reproduction with the texture and individual character expected from a traditionally painted canvas.