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This portrait, although unfinished, is a beautiful depiction of Webster as a young man,
fresh from his victory in the Dartmouth College Case. Following the College's success,
it was decided that portraits of the attorneys who represented the College be commissioned.
For this task, Gilbert Stuart was chosen. Stuart was a well-known portraitist of the
period who had passed his prime and was in his decline. His style and schedule were
often sporadic, and portraits, such as this one, might sit unfinished indefinitely.
Stuart later did a complete portrait of Webster, but its quality does not approach
that of this unfinished work. |