Portrait of Caleb Strong (1745-1819)
Image ID: ART079
Portrait of Caleb Strong, former Governor of Massachusetts.
unsigned and undated
(Gilbert Stuart?)
Known as Northampton's "First Citizen," Caleb Strong (1745-1819) was born in Northampton, educated at Harvard at the top of his 1764 class, and tutored for the practice of law by Joseph Hawley, His distinguished career in public life took him from his early days as Hampshire County Register of Probate, to the Provincial Congress in Massachusetts, to the United States Senate and finally, to his election as Governor of Massachusetts ten times.
As his letters reflect, Governor Strong seemed as conscious of appearance as he did of his federalist policies. In a letter to his son Lewis, written in 1803 while he was Governor and Lewis was a student at Harvard, he admonished him to be a little more elegant than he had been at an earlier age. "When you were here, I thought your dress was hardly elegant enough," he wrote. "If you want new clothes, get those that are good and durable." Governor Strong obviously followed his own advice, as evident by the outfit in which he was painted.
Strong's portrait traditionally has been attributed to Gilbert Stuart (1754-1828), especially famed for his paintings of President George Washington. Born in Rhode Island, Stuart had a distinguished career in England before returning to America in 1793. He resided chiefly in Philadelphia and Washington before moving to Boston in 1805. Stuart might possible have painted this portrait around that time, as Caleb Strong was then serving in Boston as Governor of Massachusetts.
It is not know how Forbes Library acquired the painting.
unsigned and undated
(Gilbert Stuart?)
Known as Northampton's "First Citizen," Caleb Strong (1745-1819) was born in Northampton, educated at Harvard at the top of his 1764 class, and tutored for the practice of law by Joseph Hawley, His distinguished career in public life took him from his early days as Hampshire County Register of Probate, to the Provincial Congress in Massachusetts, to the United States Senate and finally, to his election as Governor of Massachusetts ten times.
As his letters reflect, Governor Strong seemed as conscious of appearance as he did of his federalist policies. In a letter to his son Lewis, written in 1803 while he was Governor and Lewis was a student at Harvard, he admonished him to be a little more elegant than he had been at an earlier age. "When you were here, I thought your dress was hardly elegant enough," he wrote. "If you want new clothes, get those that are good and durable." Governor Strong obviously followed his own advice, as evident by the outfit in which he was painted.
Strong's portrait traditionally has been attributed to Gilbert Stuart (1754-1828), especially famed for his paintings of President George Washington. Born in Rhode Island, Stuart had a distinguished career in England before returning to America in 1793. He resided chiefly in Philadelphia and Washington before moving to Boston in 1805. Stuart might possible have painted this portrait around that time, as Caleb Strong was then serving in Boston as Governor of Massachusetts.
It is not know how Forbes Library acquired the painting.
Image Details
| Dublin Core | |
|---|---|
| Title |
Portrait of Caleb Strong (1745-1819)
|
| Subject |
Gilbert Stuart
Caleb Strong
Oil paintings
Portrait paintings
Governors
|
| Description |
Portrait of Caleb Strong, former Governor of Massachusetts.
unsigned and undated (Gilbert Stuart?) Known as Northampton's "First Citizen," Caleb Strong (1745-1819) was born in Northampton, educated at Harvard at the top of his 1764 class, and tutored for the practice of law by Joseph Hawley, His distinguished career in public life took him from his early days as Hampshire County Register of Probate, to the Provincial Congress in Massachusetts, to the United States Senate and finally, to his election as Governor of Massachusetts ten times. As his letters reflect, Governor Strong seemed as conscious of appearance as he did of his federalist policies. In a letter to his son Lewis, written in 1803 while he was Governor and Lewis was a student at Harvard, he admonished him to be a little more elegant than he had been at an earlier age. "When you were here, I thought your dress was hardly elegant enough," he wrote. "If you want new clothes, get those that are good and durable." Governor Strong obviously followed his own advice, as evident by the outfit in which he was painted. Strong's portrait traditionally has been attributed to Gilbert Stuart (1754-1828), especially famed for his paintings of President George Washington. Born in Rhode Island, Stuart had a distinguished career in England before returning to America in 1793. He resided chiefly in Philadelphia and Washington before moving to Boston in 1805. Stuart might possible have painted this portrait around that time, as Caleb Strong was then serving in Boston as Governor of Massachusetts. It is not know how Forbes Library acquired the painting. |
| Creator |
Gilbert Stuart
|
| Format |
Oil
|
| Identifier |
ART079
|
| Coverage |
Reference rooms
|
| Still Image Item Type Metadata | |
|---|---|
| Physical Dimensions |
25.5" x 20.25"
|
Citation
Gilbert Stuart, “Portrait of Caleb Strong (1745-1819),” Forbes Library Images from the Archives, accessed April 26, 2024, https://images.forbeslibrary.org/items/show/819.