The Skater (Portrait of William Grant)

According to the museum's account, artist and sitter went skating when the weather seemed better for that than for a portrait sitting. Stuart turned the experience into an unusual full-length portrait. The stance adapts the Apollo Belvedere, while crossed arms follow contemporary skating practice. A formal genre meets a modern pastime.

A black hat completes Grant's tall silhouette. His head remains clear against the light winter background.

His arms cross over his chest. The position follows contemporary skating practice while keeping the upper figure compact.

One skate extends along the ice. The legs convey gliding and relate to the classical stance of the Apollo Belvedere.

Bare branches rise at the right. Their still lines provide a setting for the moving figure.

Tiny skaters appear in the distance. They establish the shared activity on the frozen water and the foreground portrait's scale.

Stuart studied in London with Benjamin West, whose studio held a cast of Apollo. Exhibiting The Skater at the Royal Academy in 1782 established his reputation. He later returned to America and became a principal portraitist of Washington.