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Catalog Data

Artist:
Charles Willson Peale, 15 Apr 1741 - 22 Feb 1827  Search this
Sitter:
George Washington, 22 Feb 1732 - 14 Dec 1799  Search this
Medium:
Mezzotint on paper
Dimensions:
Image: 19 × 15.3 cm (7 1/2 × 6")
Sheet: 24.9 × 16.4 cm (9 13/16 × 6 7/16")
Type:
Print
Date:
1787
Exhibition Label:
Born Westmoreland County, Virginia
Charles Willson Peale sought to capitalize on the public’s interest in the American Revolution (1775–83) by portraying some of its key figures in a series of prints. In 1787, when this mezzotint was made, George Washington was presiding over the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, where Peale lived. The future president obliged the artist with three portrait sittings that summer, continuing a relationship that they had begun in 1772. Having the opportunity to portray Washington buoyed Peale’s career, while the politician benefited from the artist’s skilled—and timely—representations.
Nacido en Westmoreland County, Virginia
Charles Willson Peale quiso aprovechar el interés público en la Revolución Estadounidense (1775–1783) retratando a varias de sus figuras clave en una serie de grabados. En 1787, cuando se realizó esta mezzotinta, George Washington presidía la Convención Constitucional en Filadelfia, donde vivía Peale. El futuro presidente accedió a posar tres veces para el artista ese verano, continuando la relación que habían establecido en 1772. La oportunidad de retratar a Washington impulsó la carrera de Peale, mientras que el político se benefició de las excelentes y oportunas efigies.
Topic:
Costume\Dress Accessory\Epaulet  Search this
George Washington: Male  Search this
George Washington: Military and Intelligence\Army\Officer\Revolutionary War  Search this
George Washington: Politics and Government\Statesman\Colonial statesman  Search this
George Washington: Natural Resource Occupations\Agriculturist\Farmer  Search this
George Washington: Military and Intelligence\Army\Officer\General  Search this
George Washington: Politics and Government\President of US  Search this
George Washington: Science and Technology\Surveyor  Search this
George Washington: Congressional Gold Medal  Search this
Portrait  Search this
Credit Line:
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; Funded by Wendy Wick Reaves, Curator Emerita of Prints and Drawings
Object number:
NPG.2016.16
Restrictions & Rights:
CC0
See more items in:
National Portrait Gallery Collection
Location:
Currently not on view
Data Source:
National Portrait Gallery
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm48e538847-3f25-4c1e-bb05-d5bbea24546a
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:npg_NPG.2016.16