George Washington
This official portrait of the first U.S. president shows him in a simple black velvet suit. The imagery deliberately contrasts with European royal portraits—especially, the print of Louis XVI given to Washington by the French ambassador in 1791. Royal regalia such as the crown, scepter, and ermine mantle have been replaced by symbols associated with the Roman Republic, including bundled fasces as table legs. The original oil painting of Washington that inspired this print is often called the Lansdowne portrait after its first owner, the Marquess of Lansdowne, the British prime minister who oversaw peace negotiations with the United States.
Artwork Details
- Title: George Washington
- Engraver: Edward Savage (American, Princeton, Massachusetts 1761–1817 Princeton, Massachusetts)
- Artist: After Gilbert Stuart (American, North Kingston, Rhode Island 1755–1828 Boston, Massachusetts)
- Sitter: George Washington (American, 1732–1799)
- Published in: Philadelphia
- Date: 1801
- Medium: Mezzotint, before letters
- Dimensions: Plate: 27 3/4 × 20 3/8 in. (70.5 × 51.8 cm)
Sheet: 29 15/16 × 22 1/16 in. (76 × 56 cm) - Classification: Prints
- Credit Line: Bequest of Charles Allen Munn, 1924
- Object Number: 24.90.180
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
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ca. 1790
Edward Savage (American, Princeton, Massachusetts 1761–1817 Princeton, Massachusetts)
1799
March 10, 1798
1791
February 7, 1792
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