Danaë, an oil painting depicting a classical myth, served as a lightning rod for controversy in 1787 by standing as one of the first female nude subjects exhibited in the United States. This work defined the career of Adolf Ulrik Wertmüller, a Swedish artist whose professional life spanned the royal courts of Europe and the burgeoning artistic landscape of the early American republic.
European Training and Royal Patronage
Born in Stockholm in 1751, Wertmüller began his artistic development at home before relocating to Paris in 1772. During his time in France, he studied under his cousin Alexander Roslin and the French painter Joseph-Marie Vien. His formal standing in the arts was cemented on July 30, 1784, when he gained election to the Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture. During this period, he secured a commission from Gustav III of Sweden to paint Queen Marie Antoinette of France and two of her children walking in the park of Trianon. This piece is now housed in the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm.
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Associated with the Neoclassical movement, Wertmüller developed a reputation for vibrant coloring and elegant execution. His portfolio included portraits and mythological scenes, such as Cupid as Bacchus and a portrait of the artist Jean-Jaques Bachelier (1724–1806). Critics of the era, notably those cited in Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography, observed that his portraits—particularly those of George Washington—prioritized an idealised, elegant style over strict physical accuracy, reflecting the preferences of the French school in which he trained.
Career in the United States
Wertmüller first arrived in the United States in May 1794. He spent significant time producing portraits, most notably of General George Washington. According to Elizabeth B. Johnston’s 1882 book Original Portraits of Washington, Wertmüller executed five distinct portraits of the General. One of these, finished in 1797, entered the U.S. government collection in 1878, while the Historical Society of Pennsylvania retains another. Although he returned to Sweden in 1796, he eventually moved back to Philadelphia in 1800.
Final Years in Delaware
On January 8, 1801, Wertmüller married Elizabeth Henderson, the granddaughter of the early painter Gustavus Hesselius. Two years after his marriage, he retired from his professional career as a painter and draftsperson to settle on a plantation in Claymont, Delaware. He resided there until his death in 1811, at age 60, passing away near Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania. His legacy remained preserved through his extensive body of work, which included private inventories documented in the Hesselius family papers.
Fast facts
- Born: 1751, Stockholm, Sweden
- Died: 1811, Delaware County, Wilmington
- Notable work: Danaë
- Notable work: Cupid as Bacchus
- Notable work: Queen Marie Antoinette of France and two of her Children Walking in The Park of Trianon
- Profession: Painter and draftsperson
- Movement: Neoclassicism
- Spouse: Elizabeth Henderson
Questions readers ask
How many portraits of George Washington did Wertmüller paint?
According to the 1882 book Original Portraits of Washington by Elizabeth B. Johnston, he executed five portraits of Washington.
What happened to his painting Danaë?
It gained notoriety as one of the earliest female nude paintings exhibited in the United States after its completion in 1787.
Achievements
- Notable work: Jean-Jaques Bachelier 1724-1806
- Notable work: Queen Marie Antoinette of France and two of her Children Walking in The Park of Trianon
- Notable work: Cupid as Bacchus
- Movement: Neoclassicism