Portrait of George Washington

Lesson Objective

Students will look at Thomas Sully’s portrait of George Washington and related artworks like the original portrait of George Washington by Gilbert Stuart. They’ll learn about the historical context that inspired the creation of these portraits and how visual arts can aid historical research. They’ll learn to identify how an image becomes meaningful throughout its symbols and then put in practice these new skills to create their own meaningful portraits.

If you wish to replace or add creative writing, compare and contrast activities, and/or historical research to your lesson, scroll down to the Learning Extensions.

Introduction

This heroic image of George Washington shows the first U.S. president as a statesman and a military leader. When this picture was painted in the 1820s, the country was seeking national heroes and identity. Almost 50 years had passed since the first shot of independence was fired. The tense years after the war, when it seemed the states could not agree on anything, were history. Many Americans of the day believed that the success of their new nation was due to the leadership of one man. Washington was more than a general and a politician. He had become a symbol of the nation.

How does an artist put all that in a picture?

Warm-Up Questions

1. Did you recognize the man in this picture the moment you saw him? Turn to a peer and discuss what elements or symbols made you realize who he was.
2. This is a portrait of George Washington as a leader. How has the artist shown he is important?
3. Turn to a neighbor and reflect what objects you would include if you had to paint a portrait of him.

Background

American Heroes and a Search for Identity

Following the American Revolution (1775–83), America’s radical ideas of federalism and individual statehood marked a startling separation from 1700s European political practices. Because no models of democracy existed in Europe at this time, the new nation was eager to associate itself with the virtues and values of ancient Greece and Rome and their great civilizations. This revival of ancient classical cultures, called neoclassicism, was expressed in 1800s painting, sculpture, and architecture.

In this period, America was in need of American heroes. George Washington, the most revered of revolutionary leaders and the first U.S. president, was an ideal role model. After his death in 1799, he became the symbol of the new republic. Washington’s image proliferated across America, meeting the great demand for presidential portraits to decorate the many new government buildings.

The painter Gilbert Stuart painted numerous portraits of Washington, three of which became models for countless reproductions, copies and imitations. While uniqueness and originality are highly valued in artwork today, during the 1800s, the subject’s identity and importance gave meaning and value to the work. The many artists who painted images of George Washington after his death were happy to copy works by artists like Stuart, who had painted the president from life.

An Artist Copying Someone Else’s Picture?

Philadelphia artist Thomas Sully made his living by painting portraits; he completed more than 2,000 pictures in his lifetime. Usually the people in his pictures sat for him in person as he sketched, including the young Queen Victoria of England.

This job was different. Washington had been dead for more than 20 years. For this painting, Sully copied the work of another artist, Gilbert Stuart. Stuart had painted Washington from life when he was still president. Since the president disliked posing for portraits, by the end of his presidency, few artists had the chance to paint him from life. Stuart had many requests to paint copies of his paintings of George Washington for the new government buildings being built in the young nation. Indeed, more people wanted pictures than Stuart could provide, so other artists, such as Thomas Sully, were happy to take the commissions.

Did Stuart mind that Sully copied his picture? Probably not. European artists of the time often made nearly exact copies of other people’s pictures, particularly those of government or church leaders. But artists also looked at other pictures to get ideas for portraits of their own. Like many artists, Stuart had a collection of prints based on paintings by European artists. The painting Sully copied is owned by the New York Public Library.

What Makes This Portrait Symbolic?

At first glance, this portrait seems to be a simple record of Washington’s appearance. But many details are more important for the ideas they symbolize than as a record of history. Indeed, some things in the picture never existed.

The furniture, decorated with national symbols like the eagle, was probably invented by the artist with the intention of reinforcing the president’s importance by using the gilded furniture with red upholstery and the eagles representing power and victory.

The black velvet suit Washington wears is also symbolic. As the first president of a modern democracy, Washington had to decide how such a leader should dress. Would it be luxurious robes and crowns, like European kings and queens? Or the military uniform he wore as commander in chief? Washington chose a black suit to show that he was a different kind of leader, an ordinary citizen elected by the people.

The sword at Washington’s waist reminds us that he was a military leader.

The pen, the books on the floor, and the paper on the table symbolize the laws of the new nation, and their composition suggests Washington’s authority based on the written law. The laws, the painting tells us, will last longer than the rule of one man in this new country.

Can you find a symbol that is meant to refer to Washington’s love of the outdoors?

The paperweight shaped like a dog could reference this. The small details holding great meaning teach us about the intentionality and thought behind the portrait and how important it is to pay close attention.

Even the weather in the distant sky is symbolic. A faint rainbow appears beside lingering dark clouds, the calm after a storm. For citizens of the young United States, Washington’s presidency gave hope for a peaceful future after the turmoil of creating a nation.

Art Activity

Creating Portraits

Materials

• Paper
• Pencil
• Drawing materials: colored pencils, crayons, markers, etc.

Guided Practice 

Look closely at the portrait, left to right and top to bottom. Think about what you see and the background information you now know. Think about who George Washington was and how that is represented in the portrait. Imagine how an artist can truly capture the essence of a person, and imagine how you could do the same.

Instructions 

1. Make your own interpretation of what a Washington portrait should look like. Brainstorm what elements you would include. What elements represent him? What elements represent the environment and the needs of the society he led? After you are done, think about what elements are still relevant today.
2. Choose a partner, a friend, or someone you want to get to know better.
3. Take turns listening to each other for a couple of minutes on who they are and what makes them themselves. Listen actively and take notes.
4. Create a portrait of your partner inspired by the information they shared with you. How can you capture who they are?

Activity Reflection

As an in-class discussion, after everyone is done, go over the portraits of the students. Discuss together how they feel about how they were represented. Do they feel the other person captured who they are? Does the rest of the classroom agree with these representations?

Reflection

As a whole group, reflect on how it feels to be observed and represented by someone else and how it feels to have the responsibility to create a portrait of someone.

Portraits can be very powerful. How do you believe they have impacted history and society? How do you think this specific painting reinforces the desired image of the United States? Would it still be used today?

Learning Extensions

Research and Writing

Use the internet to find other examples of presidential portraits. Choose three portraits and compare them to the George Washington portrait.

• What is similar?
• What is different?
• What questions do you have about the person?
• Who is the artist? What questions do you have about the artist?

Writing extension: Choose one of the three portraits. Conduct more research about that historical figure. What can you learn more about them?

Research and Art Activity

1. You are a political cartoonist.
2. Your job is to make a sketch of a contemporary event that conveys your perspective.

Creative challenges: Include at least three things to identify the event for viewers. Include at least two clues/indicators of your position (perspective) on the event. Will your cartoon have words? If yes, how will they reinforce your image?

Present your cartoon to the class and have a discussion on the effectiveness of your representation.

Art Connections

Other artworks related to Thomas Sully and historical portraits can be found in Mia’s collection. Take a look if you have some time and compare them to the portrait seen in this lesson:

Self-Portrait (Francesco de Mura)

Portrait of Robert Erwin Gray

Minnesota State Standards

Social Studies

6.5.24.3 Identify how the arts have been a part of strategies, activities, and/or engagement for social and political change.

Visual Arts

5.0.4.7.1–5.9.4.7.1 Respond: Analyze and construct interpretations of artistic work.

5.0.5.9.1–5.5.5.9.1 Connect: Integrate knowledge and personal experiences while responding to, creating, and presenting artistic work.

Reading

4.1.9.1 Collect information from a variety of sources in different formats on a topic of personal interest or academic focus.

Writing

4.2.5.1 Write to inform or explain, organizing and presenting ideas clearly, using precise, domain-specific vocabulary and a variety of text structures, and including an introduction and conclusion, building on skills from previous years.

4.2.7.2 Plan and conduct independent research using sources to build understanding of topic; evaluate perspective, credibility, and relevance of information, avoiding plagiarism, and share findings in writing.