Christian Gullager (March 1, 1759 – November 12, 1826)[1] was a Danish-American artist specializing in portraits and theatrical scenery in the late 18th century. He worked in Boston, Massachusetts,[2] New York, and Philadelphia. [3]

Christian Gullager
Born
Amandus Christian Gullager

(1759-03-01)March 1, 1759
DiedNovember 12, 1826(1826-11-12) (aged 67)
Alma materRoyal Danish Academy of Fine Arts
Spouse
Mary Sellman
(m. 1786; div. 1809)

Biography

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Amandus Christian Gullager was born to Christian Guldager Prang and Marie Elisabeth Dalberg in Copenhagen. He trained at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts where he was awarded a silver medal in 1780. Gullager moved to Boston by 1786. In 1792, Gullager established a drawing academy at his house on Tremont Hill in Boston. Gullager worked in Newburyport in 1786, in Boston from 1789 to 1797, in New York City from 1797 to 1798, in Philadelphia 1798–1805, and in New York again in 1806–07. He died during 1826 in Philadelphia and was buried at the Second Presbyterian Church Yard, Third and Arch Streets. [4][5]

Selected works

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In America, portrait subjects included president George Washington.[6] He designed scenery for Boston's Federal Street Theatre.[7][8]

Gullager created portraits of:

 
Portrait of John May, 1789 (American Antiquarian Society)
  • Joseph Ball
  • Captain Offin Boardman, about 1787[9]
  • Benjamin Greenleaf Boardman, about 1787[9]
  • Sarah Greenleaf Boardman (Mrs. Offin Boardman) ca.1787[9]
  • Reverend Eli Forbes
  • John May (1748–1812), 1789[10]
  • David Plumer
  • Mary Sargent Plumer (Mrs. David Plumer)
  • Elizabeth Sewall Salisbury (Mrs. Samuel Salisbury), 1789[9]
  • Martha Saunders Salisbury (Mrs. Nicholas Salisbury), 1789[9]
  • Stephen Salisbury, 1789[9]
  • Daniel Waldo (1724–1808), 1789[9]
  • Rebecca Salisbury Waldo (Mrs. Daniel Waldo), 1789[9]
  • George Washington, 1789[9]
  • Abigail Leonard West (1796–1879), c. 1796[10]
  • David West, Jr. (1790–1825), c. 1796[10]
  • David West, Sr. (1765–1810), c. 1796[10]
  • Jeremiah Williams, ca.1780[11]
  • Mathilda Davis Williams, ca.1791[11]
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References

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  1. ^ Marvin S. Sadik; Christian Gullager (1976). Christian Gullager: Portrait Painter to Federal America. National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution. p. 25.
  2. ^ Boston Directory, 1789
  3. ^ "Christian Gullager, Biography of the Artist". Worcesterart.org. Retrieved December 20, 2015.
  4. ^ Barbara Wells Sarudy. "American Artist Christian Gullager 1759-1826". It's About Time. Retrieved December 20, 2015.
  5. ^ "Guide to the Second Presbyterian Church (Philadelphia, Pa.) Records". Presbyterian Historical Society. Retrieved December 20, 2015.
  6. ^ Herald of Freedom, Nov. 11, 1789
  7. ^ Polar Star (Boston), Jan. 25, 1797
  8. ^ Philadelphia Gazette, June 17, 1796
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i Worcester Art Museum. Christian Gullager (1759–1826). Retrieved 2010-07
  10. ^ a b c d American Antiquarian Society. Portraits at the American Antiquarian Society. Retrieved 2010-07
  11. ^ a b Smithsonian American Art Museum. Gullager Archived 2011-06-07 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2010-07

Further reading

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  • Christian Gullager, 1759–1826 (Worcester Art Museum) June 18–September 6, 1949.
  • Christian Gullager: Portrait Painter to Federal America (National Portrait Gallery, Washington, D.C.) April 23–September 20, 1976.
  • Alsted, Niels (17 July 2011). "Christian Gullager". Lex.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 31 August 2024.
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