From George Washington to Gilbert Stuart, 11 April 1796
To Gilbert Stuart
Monday Evening 11th Apl 1796.
Sir,
I am under promis⟨e to⟩ Mrs Bingham,1 to set for you tom⟨or⟩row at nine oclock; and wishing ⟨to⟩ know if it be convenient to you that I should do so, and whether it shall be at your own house,2 (as she talked of the State House) I send this note to you, to ask information—I am Sir Your Obedient Servt
Go: Washington
ALS (photocopy), National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh. A later writer inserted material at damaged portions of the letter. These characters are shown in angle brackets.
A certificate dated 23 March 1823 that appears below this letter and includes Stuart’s signature indicates that GW sat for the portrait “now owned by Samuel Williams, of London.” The accuracy of that certificate has been questioned (see 1:56).
Born in North Kingstown, R.I., Gilbert Stuart (1755–1828) attained renown as a portrait artist.
1. Anne Willing Bingham (1764–1801), a daughter of Thomas Willing, had married William Bingham in 1780. She became known for the political influence of her social gatherings at her palatial home in Philadelphia.
The Binghams had commissioned Stuart to paint a full-length portrait of GW for presentation to the marquis of Lansdowne (see frontispiece).
2. GW addressed the cover of the ALS to Stuart at “Chesnut Street.”