George Washington Portrait by Gilbert Stuart Heads to Auction: Metropolitan Museum’s Strategic Deaccessioning Unveils Historic Masterpiece

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has taken the bold step of donating a rare and important painting by famous American artist Gilbert Stuart depicting George Washington. This iconic work is expected to fetch between $1.5 million and $2.5 million at auction at Christie's, with proceeds going to the museum's acquisitions fund. The decision to sell it was to raise funds for this cause, which takes place next month.

Vaughan Series and Its Artistic Significance

The portrait, part of Stuart's esteemed Vaughan series, dates back to the autumn of 1795 when Washington sat for the artist. Only 14 of these portraits are known to exist today, making this deaccessioned piece an invaluable contribution to the art world. The Met currently houses another version of the Vaughan portrait known as the Gibbs-Channing-Avery, considered one of the earliest and finest replicas.

From Philips Family to Christie's Auction

Christie's reveals that the upcoming auction will feature a portrait with a unique history. Originally owned by the Philips family, English textile merchants who supported the American side during the Revolutionary War, the painting has a lineage steeped in transatlantic history. Acquired by London dealer Frank T. Sabin in 1923, it eventually found its way to the Duveen Brothers, who sold it to New York businessman Richard De Wolfe Brixey for $18,000.

Upon Brixey's passing in 1943, he bequeathed the portrait and seven other paintings to the Met, amounting to an appraised value of $37,850 in 1944. Adjusted for inflation, this would be around $652,914 today. Notable works from the Brixey collection, including pieces by Lorenzo di Credi and John Singleton Copley, are currently on display at the Met's Fifth Avenue location.

The upcoming auction at Christie's, titled "Important Americana," is set to take place on January 18 and 19, with Stuart's George Washington portrait as the top lot. The artist's auction record was set in 2018 when one of the Vaughan Washington portraits fetched an impressive $11.5 million.

While deaccessioning often raises debates within the art community, the move aligns with the Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD) guidelines. Notably, the Art Institute of Chicago recently deaccessioned a Balthus painting, which sold for nearly $14.7 million at a Sotheby's auction. The Met's decision follows its deaccessioning of Pablo Picasso's first Cubist sculpture last year, underscoring the museum's commitment to strategic collection management and future acquisitions.

The auction of Gilbert Stuart's George Washington portrait marks a pivotal moment in art, where history, finance, and institutional strategy converge. As the gavel falls, the impact of this decision will resonate far beyond the auction room, shaping discussions on the role of museums and the value assigned to cultural treasures.