Apart from the several celebrated pictures of the first president, his best work was done in the decade in which he resided in that city. It has been the policy of the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts to acquire as many of these works as possible. More than a score are now in its possession, including portraits of Presidents Monroe and Madison, and the famous Dolly Madison canvas. Stuart painted as many as three sets of the first five presidents, one of which was destroyed by fire in Washington. One set is now privately owned in Boston. What is known as the Lansdowne portrait is in the Philadelphia gallery. In design and general impressiveness, though not in features, it is one of the most satisfactory of all the presidential picturings. The Gibbs-Channing portrait, now in the Metropolitan Museum, New York, is the finest in facial modeling. Stuart made many replicas of the few Washingtons he painted from life--especially was this so of the Athenæum head. Much controversy has arisen as to which of the many Washington portraits is the most accurate. The fact of the absolute dimensions of any feature is of little moment to later generations. What is of greatest moment is the poise, the nobility, the grandeur, the serenity, the faith, the wisdom, the Homeric mold, of the man, and these a grateful people has come to think were intimated more fully by Stuart than by any of the other portrayers. [Illustration: WASHINGTON TAKING LEAVE OF HIS GENERALS By Trumbull, in the Yale School of Fine Arts.] [Illustration: JOHN TRUMBULL Painted by himself.] STUART’S PORTRAITS OF WOMEN