Reverend William Preston (Primary Title)

Despite his reputation as one of the most talented and prolific artists of the period, Stuart struggled to sustain financial solvency. In 1784, he leased a fashionable residence in Piccadilly adjacent his aristocratic patrons, but three years later he was forced to flee England to escape his creditors. Settling in Ireland, he quickly earned the patronage of that country’s elite, beginning with his portrait of the Lord-lieutenant, the Duke of Rutland. This portrait of Reverend William Preston followed shortly after. A missionary for “English civility,” the Protestant cleric was given a living in County Carlow but chafed at the challenge of converting and living among his Irish parishioners. Ultimately, both Stuart and Preston departed: Stuart for America and Preston for England.