Lansdowne portrait
George Washington Parke Custis, Mrs. James (Dolley) Madison and others saved the White House copy from burning in the War of 1812.[1]: 172 The highly unpopular Jay Treaty, settling claims between the United States and Great Britain left over from the Revolutionary War, had been presented to the U.S. Senate for approval earlier in the year.[1]: 172 In his annual address, delivered to Congress on opening day of its next session, the President acknowledged the struggle over the Jay Treaty, and called for unity.The dress he wears is plain black velvet; he has his sword on, upon the hilt of which one hand rests while the other is extended, as the figure is standing and addressing the Hall of Assembly.[7] Lord Lansdowne – who as British Prime Minister had secured a peaceful end to the War – commissioned Stuart to paint a portrait of George Washington.Meanwhile, Stuart gathered orders for portraits—among his papers is a document titled: "A list of gentlemen who are to have copies of the portrait of the President of the United States."[12]: 92 Lansdowne's letter of thanks to Mrs. Bingham survives, but is undated: A very fine portrait of the greatest man living in a magnificent frame found its way into my hall, with no one thing left for me to do regarding it, except to thank the amiable donor of it.[1]: 170 Stuart's first copy of the portrait was for the Binghams (now at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts), and would have been completed before the original left his studio in late 1796.It was sent out with the loan collection from England, unpacked at Memorial Hall, and hung up in the British section before its arrival was known to the Fine Arts Committee.Stuart painted Washington from life, showing him standing up, dressed in a black velvet suit with an outstretched hand held up in an oratorical manner.The table's leg is carved as a fasces, a bundle of bound wooden rods that symbolized imperial power and authority in ancient Rome.Stuart wrote: "When I painted him [Washington], he had just had a set of false teeth inserted, which accounts for the constrained expression so noticeable about the mouth and lower part of the face ... Houdon's bust does not suffer from this defect."[21] Stuart made several changes for the Munro-Lenox portrait (c.1800):[23] Washington's head is slightly turned, and his hand is on the table, rather than gesturing into the air.[30] William Winstanley (1775–1806), a British landscape painter working in the United States,[45] reportedly painted six full-size copies of the Lansdowne.[34] During the 19th century, Jane Stuart (the artist's daughter) painted multiple copies of the Lansdowne in full and reduced sizes.
Gilbert StuartNational Portrait GalleryWashington, D.C.iconicGeorge Washingtonpresident of the United StatesBritish Prime MinisterWilliam Petty, 1st Marquess of LansdowneEnglandEast RoomWhite HouseGeorge Washington Parke CustisWar of 1812Sotheby'sSmithsonian InstitutionDonald W. Reynolds FoundationFourth U.S. CongressJay TreatyFarewell AddressLoyalistsRevolutionary WarLondonDublinLord LansdownePhiladelphiaFriday evening "drawingrooms."Rembrandt PealeNational Gallery of ArtSenatorWilliam BinghamPennsylvaniaGermantownPennsylvania Academy of the Fine ArtsBrooklyn MuseumCharles Cotesworth PinckneyCentennial ExhibitionMemorial HallJohn Delaware LewisArchibald Philip Primrose, fifth Earl of RoseberyThe Donald W. Reynolds Foundationceremonial maceU.S. House of Representativesfascesbald eagleancient RomanRoman RepublicvelvetoratoricalDoric columnsdemocraticform of governmentmonarchymilitary dictatorshiprainbowAmerican Revolutionary WarUnited StatesTreaty of ParisAmerican flagFederalist PapersCongressional Recordcommander-in-chiefContinental ArmypresidentConstitutional Conventionrule of lawauthoritysilverinkwellGeorge Washington's coat of armsloyaltyfacial expressionfalse teethJean-Antoine Houdonsculpture of WashingtonGeorge Washington (Constable-Hamilton Portrait)Alexander HamiltonLenox LibraryNew York Public LibraryCrystal Bridges Museum of American ArtBentonville, ArkansasHartfordProvidenceOld Colony HouseNewportNew York CityDolley MadisonPeter Jay MunroOld State HouseHartford, ConnecticutConnecticut General AssemblyRhode Island State HouseProvidence, Rhode IslandRhode Island General AssemblyNewport, Rhode IslandJane StuartAlonzo ChappelMetropolitan Museum of ArtThe Catholic University of AmericaWashington and Lee UniversityArt Institute of ChicagoNew York State CapitolEzra AmesU.S. CapitolRichard W. MeadeNorth Carolina State HouseThomas SullyNorth Carolina State CapitolPhiladelphia Masonic TempleMaryland Historical SocietyProvidence AthenaeumThe GreenbrierRedwood Library and AthenaeumBirmingham Museum of ArtTheodore RamosMinneapolis Institute of ArtU.S. House of Representatives ChamberJohn VanderlynNational Portrait Gallery, LondonMontreal Museum of Fine ArtsOld Colony History MuseumTaunton, MassachusettsJames Sullivan LincolnVermont State HouseCorcoran Art GalleryFall River Public LibraryMassachusetts