American Art-Union, Part 1: The Stuart Medal

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Last year at the Annual YN Auction, several lots caught my eye that I was hoping to win. Among the expected U.S. coins and tokens, there also was a large 3-inch medal that is not commonly encountered in auctions and is quite rare. Despite being in a pitiable state of preservation, I saw a true story beneath its two centuries worth of damage and neglect and knew that I wanted to bid on it. 

The bidding started furiously, and it made me nervous at how quickly the price shot up. I was afraid I would not be able to win it. Then several people dropped out, leaving one other bidder whose offers slowed down and then stopped entirely. When the auction ended, I was the lucky winner of the Stuart medal produced by the American Art-Union! In total, I ended up paying $450 YN Dollars for it. Winning this lot set me off on a research journey. Here’s what I learned.

The American Art-Union

Founded in 1839, the American Art-Union (AAU) was dedicated to bringing the arts to working-class Americans. Every year, for a subscription of $5 ($205 today), members would receive free admission to the Art-Union’s gallery and at least one art engraving, similar to the one shown here.

The members would also receive a ticket to the famed art lottery held at the end of the year. The Art-Union was a great success, with membership peaking at 18,000. However, several problems, including a legal issue regarding the art lottery, resulted in the AAU closing its doors in 1851. It existed for only 12 short years, but it had an outsized impact by expanding the arts beyond the wealthy, making them accessible to more Americans.

The Stuart Medal

An article in the Louisville Examiner on November 18, 1848, stated: 

“The subject for the medal of this year is the distinguished portrait-painter Gilbert Stuart. Of this the die has already been executed by Wright, and highly successful it is, both as a likeness and work of art. Two hundred and fifty copies of it will be distributed, and also two hundred of the Allston medal, which was published in 1847, and which has been greatly admired.” 

The medals apparently were a hit in 1848, so the Art-Union decided to reissue the medal the following two years.  The total cumulative mintage is 650 examples struck in bronze—250 were issued in 1848, 150 in 1849, and 250 in 1850. They are all dated 1848. A couple unique pieces are known, one struck in white metal and one in silver. These likely were trial strikes or presentation pieces.

Gilbert Stuart

Gilbert Stuart was born in 1755 in Rhode Island. At an early age, he showed promising artistic talent. So great was his talent that he studied under the painter Cosmo Alexander as a teenager. In 1771 Stuart moved with Alexander to Scotland to finish his artistic studies. Unfortunately, Alexander died soon afterward, leaving Stuart without any family or friends. However, he soon became friends with Benjamin West and studied under him during the American Revolution. 

After completing his studies, Stuart started painting, but luck did not smile upon him. He got into debt, and the debt grew faster than his paintings got finished. He eventually moved to the United States in 1793. A couple years later, Stuart painted the Athenaeum portrait of George Washington. This portrait is the one we all recognize today on the $1 bill. However, the portrait was never finished. Martha Washington wanted the completed painting, and by not finishing it, Stuart retained possession. 

Stuart became a famous American artist and was able to provide for his family by selling paintings and engravings. He suffered a stroke in 1824, which left him partially paralyzed, but he still continued his passion of painting. Stuart died in 1828.

Conclusion

The Stuart medal, which was the second of three medals produced by the American Art-Union, was a huge hit. I will cover the other two pieces in a future article.

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