in his life he had ever felt awed in the presence of a fellowman. Washington was then standing on the highest eminence of earthly glory, and the gaze of the world was steadily fixed upon the man, whom Botta terms "the Father of Freedom." To leave to posterity a faithful portrait of the Father of his country, had become the most earnest wish of Stuart's life. This he accomplished, but not at the first time; he was not satisfied with the expression, and destroyed the picture. The President sat again, and he produced that head which embodies not only the features but the soul of Washington, from which he painted all his other portraits of that great man. This picture is now in the Boston Atheneum.
STUART'S LAST PICTURE.
After the removal of Congress to Washington,
Stuart followed, and resided there till 1806, when he
went to Boston, and passed there the rest of his
days. He painted a great many portraits, which
are scattered all over the country. The last work
he ever painted was a head of the elder John Quincy
Adams. He began it a full-length: but he was
an old man, and only lived to complete the head,
which is considered one of his best likenesses, and
shows that the powers of his mind and the magic
of his pencil continued brilliant to the last. The
picture was finished by that eminent and highly
gifted artist, Thomas Sully, who would not touch
the head, as he said, "he would have thought it lit-
