Artist/Maker

Kemmelmeyer, Frederick

Place Made

Date Made

1795-1805

Medium

oil on paper

Dimensions

HOA: 21 3/4″; WOA: 17 3/4″

Accession Number

3814

Description

SUBJECT: George Washington (1732-1799) was a subject that the artist Frederick Kemmelmeyer frequently returned to. In addition to works of history-style paintings celebrating Washington’s military victories, the artist also produced embellished portraits. The strong demand for portraits of the father of the country was probably an important motivation for the artist. This cameo-style portrait, with its use of gilding to highlight details of Washington’s uniform, emphasizes Washington as a great military leader, in contrast to the presidential image created and popularized by Gilbert Stuart that shows Washington in civilian attire.

ARTIST: Frederick Kemmelmeyer (b.1752-1753; d.1820-1825) was a Hessian soldier and doctor. Research by A. Nicholas Powers now places Kemmelmeyer in America as early as 1776. Following the American Revolution Kemmelmeyer settled in Charleston, South Carolina, where documents suggest he married, fathered a child, and got divorced.

Sometime between 1784 and 1788 he moved to Baltimore, Maryland. He first advertised on June 3, 1788 in the Maryland Gazette that he had “opened a Drawing-School for young Gentlemen.” He later advertised as a portrait painter in miniature and watercolor and announced the establishment of “An Evening Drawing-School for the instruction of young gentlemen who may have a desire of learning that polite art.” Between 1803 and 1805 Kemmelmeyer worked in the District of Columbia.

The final years of Kemmelmeyer’s career were spent in western Maryland and the Valley of Virginia. During this period he advertised in the Hagerstown and Frederick newspapers. His last known advertisement is dated 1816.

In Charleston, Baltimore, and the Valley of Virginia, Kemmelmeyer was closely associated with the German-speaking Lutheran community.

Kemmelmeyer is best known for his military paintings featuring General George Washington including two versions of “George Washington Reviewing the Western Army…” at the Winterthur Museum (WM acc. 1958.2780) and the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MMA acc. 62.201.2) as well as his portraits of Washington (MESDA acc. 3814).

REFERENCES: A. Nicholas Powers, “Research Note: Frederick Kemmelmeyer—From Hessian Soldier to American Artist,” Journal of Early Southern Decorative Arts, vol. 34, 2013. http://www.mesdajournal.org/2013/research-note-frederick-kemmelmeyer-from-hessian-soldier-american-artist/

DESCRIPTION: Oil on paper mounted on late 18th/early 19th century linen/ canvas portrait of George Washington in uniform. The painting is in an oval shape surrounded by a painted garland of bellflowers topped with a star. This gives a miniature appearance on the paper. Washington wears a wig tied in back, a white stock below his uniform with epaulets on the shoulders. He has pox scars on his face.

Artist Biography

ARTIST: Frederick Kemmelmeyer (active 1788-1803) first advertised on June 3, 1788 in the Maryland Gazette that he had “opened a Drawing-School for young Gentlemen.” He later advertised as a portrait painter in miniature and watercolor and announced the establishment of “An Evening Drawing-School for the instruction of young gentlemen who many have a desire of learning that polite art.” Through additional notices, Kemmelmeyer is known to have worked in Baltimore and Alexandria until about 1805. At this point he must have moved to the Hagerstown-Frederick area because advertisements appear in the local papers until 1816. His birth and death dates remain unknown. Kemmelmeyer is best known for his military paintings, particularly that of General George washington Reviewing the Western Army at Fort Cumberland the 18th of October 1794. Through the MESDA Field Research Program we have also located three signed pastel portraits and have attributed several others to his hand.

Artist Working Dates

1788-1803

Credit Line

MESDA Purchase Fund