Christian Gullager facts for kids
Christian Gullager (born March 1, 1759 – died November 12, 1826) was a talented Danish-American artist. He was known for painting portraits of people and designing theatrical scenery for plays. He worked in important American cities like Boston, Massachusetts, New York, and Philadelphia during the late 1700s and early 1800s.
Who Was Christian Gullager?
Christian Gullager was born in Copenhagen, Denmark. His full name was Amandus Christian Gullager. He studied art at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. This was a very good art school. In 1780, he even won a silver medal there, showing he was a promising artist.
Moving to America
By 1786, Christian Gullager had moved to Boston, America. He quickly started his art career there. In 1792, he opened his own drawing school. It was located at his house on Tremont Hill in Boston. This school helped teach others how to draw.
Gullager worked in several different cities. He was in Newburyport in 1786. Then he worked in Boston from 1789 to 1797. After that, he moved to New York City for a short time (1797-1798). He spent more time in Philadelphia from 1798 to 1805. He returned to New York again from 1806 to 1807. Christian Gullager passed away in Philadelphia in 1826. He was buried at the Second Presbyterian Church Yard.
His Famous Artworks
Christian Gullager painted many important people in America. One of his most famous portraits was of George Washington. Washington was the first president of the United States. Gullager also designed the scenery for Boston's Federal Street Theatre. This means he created the backgrounds and props for plays.
Some of the people he painted included:
- Joseph Ball
- Captain Offin Boardman
- John May (painted in 1789)
- Elizabeth Sewall Salisbury
- Stephen Salisbury
- George Washington (painted in 1789)
- Mathilda Davis Williams
Image gallery
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George Washington, 1789
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Elizabeth Sewall Salisbury (Mrs. Samuel Salisbury), 1789 (Worcester Art Museum)
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Design by Gullager for the Massachusetts Magazine; engraving by Samuel Hill, ca.1790
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Mathilda Davis Williams, ca.1791 (Smithsonian)
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Jeremiah Williams c. 1780
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Advertisement for Gullager's "drawing academy," "at his house on Tremont Hill," Boston, 1792
