What Did the Early United States Presidents Really Look Like?: Gilbert Stuart Portraits as a “Rosetta Stone” to the Pre-Photography Era | JOV (2024)

As an enthusiast and expert in the field of art history and historical portraiture, I bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to shed light on the intriguing subject presented in the article "What Did the Early United States Presidents Really Look Like?: Gilbert Stuart Portraits as a 'Rosetta Stone' to the Pre-Photography Era."

The article, authored by Eric Altschuler and Ahmed Meleis and published in the Journal of Vision in August 2010, explores the fascinating realm of early United States presidential portraits created by the renowned American painter Gilbert Stuart. These portraits, according to the authors, serve as a unique and invaluable "Rosetta Stone" to the pre-photography era, allowing us to glimpse the true likenesses of the first five U.S. Presidents: George Washington through James Monroe.

The absence of photographs for these early presidents poses a challenge for historians and researchers seeking an accurate visual representation of these figures. However, the discovery of a photograph of the sixth President, John Quincy Adams, who straddled the eras of portraiture and photography, opens up a captivating opportunity. The authors suggest that by comparing Gilbert Stuart's faithful portraits of Adams with the later photograph, we can gain insights into the accuracy of portraitists from the pre-photography era.

Stuart's 1818 portrait of John Quincy Adams is highlighted as bearing a striking resemblance to an 1848 photograph of Adams, especially when the portrait is digitally aged using available software. The article extends this comparative analysis to other portraits by Stuart, such as those of U.S. Senator Daniel Webster and physician John Collins Warren, which are also deemed remarkably faithful to later photographs.

Interestingly, the authors introduce a counterpoint by comparing a likeness of Quincy Adams painted by another well-known American painter, Charles Willson Peale, finding it less faithful to the photograph than Stuart's work. This reinforces the notion that Stuart's portraits, in this context, can function as a key to unlocking the true appearances of individuals who lived before the advent of photography.

Moreover, the article delves into a broader perspective on portraiture, suggesting that while Stuart's portraits capture critical features of a subject's face, they lack the intricate details seen in portraits by artists from different eras, such as Holbein and van Eyck. This comparison provides a nuanced understanding of artistic styles and techniques across various periods in art history.

In conclusion, the research presented in this article not only addresses the specific issue of visualizing early U.S. Presidents but also offers a methodological approach—using Gilbert Stuart's portraits as a "Rosetta Stone"—to unlock the visual mysteries of individuals who predate the photographic era. It provides a bridge between art history, portraiture, and the quest for historical accuracy in representing prominent figures.