George Washington (Trumbull)

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For the 1790 painting, see George Washington (John Trumbull, 1790).
George Washington
George Washington and William Lee
oil on canvas
Dimensions91.4 cm × 71.1 cm (36 in × 28 in)
LocationMetropolitan Museum of Art, New York City

George Washington, also entitled George Washington and William Lee, is a full-length portrait in

high treason in November.[2][3] The portrait, measuring 36 in × 28 in (0.91 m × 0.71 m), is on view in Gallery 753 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Originally in the possession of the de Neufville family of the Netherlands, it was bequeathed to the museum by Charles Allen Munn in 1924.[1][2]

History

Trumbull served in the

Nantes, France for business, but after this was unsuccessful, went to London in July to study painting under Benjamin West.[2][4] West's first question was whether Trumbull had brought any of his paintings to show his skill. Since he had no examples, he began by copying gallery paintings.[5] Subsequently, Trumbull painted this portrait of Washington from memory and probably gave it to Leendert de Neufville, son of Jean de Neufville.[2][6]

On November 15, 1780, news of the treason of

South Carolina, commanded by Commodore Alexander Gillon. The voyage lasted six months, arriving at Boston in January 1782.[10][11]

The painting remained in the possession of the de Neufville family until 1890. It was sold through art dealers in London, and acquired by the New York art dealer Edward G. Kennedy before 1898. By 1908, the painting was in the collection of Charles Allen Munn, who bequeathed it to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1924.[1]

Description

Washington, in full military uniform, a blue coat over

Black servant, usually identified as William "Billy" Lee, attends Washington's horse in the right foreground. Smoke rises from ships on the river in the lower right background.[1][2][12][13]

The likeness of Washington may be influenced by Charles Willson Peale's c. 1776 portrait of Washington, which Trumbull had copied in Boston in 1778, and which is now in the Brooklyn Museum. The composition shows influences from other paintings of military men with a groom and horse, back to Anthony van Dyck's c. 1635 painting Charles I at the Hunt. Some aspects, such as the reinforcement of outlines with black, echo the techniques of Benjamin West.[2]

Other versions

British engraver and print publisher, Valentine Green, created a mezzotint version entitled General Washington. It was published by appointment of de Neufville, January 15, 1781. The legend includes a cartouche at the bottom showing a Native American holding the Washington family crest.[13][14] In 1783, he created a half-length portrait, also entitled General Washington. In 1782, Jacques Le Roy engraved a version entitled G. Washington, with the image reversed.[15]

Critical reception

Munn in his book, Three Types of Washington Portraits, states:

The popularity of the portrait was very great. It was the first authentic portrait of Washington that had been published in Europe, and copies of it were soon issued in France and elsewhere.[16]

In the Yale University Art Gallery catalogue, John Trumbull: The Hand and Spirit of a Painter, the portrait is described:

Although still careful and restrained, the execution here is looser, recession in space more convincing, and the wooden quality observable in the faces of his earlier sitters has given way to a softer modeling.[17]

Gallery

Legacy

A seven-cent postage stamp of Washington based on this painting, printed using black ink, was issued as part of the Washington Bicentennial stamps of 1932 by the United States Post Office.[18][19] In 1925, the painting was featured on page one of The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, and described in the article "The Charles Allen Munn Bequest".[20]

  • 7¢ Issue of 1932
    7¢ Issue of 1932

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d Trumbull, John. "George Washington and William Lee". Metropolitan Museum of Art. Archived from the original on 2015-07-22. Retrieved 2015-08-04.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Caldwell, John; Rodriguez Roque, Oswaldo; Johnson, Dale T. (1994). "John Trumbull: George Washington". In Kathleen Luhrs (ed.). American Paintings in The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Vol. I: A Catalogue of Works by Artists Born by 1815. Metropolitan Museum of Art. pp. 201–203. Archived from the original on 2023-10-02. Retrieved 2021-01-25.
  3. ^ a b Digges, Thomas (November 22, 1780). "To John Adams from Thomas Digges, 22 November 1780". Founders Online, National Archives. Archived from the original on 30 January 2021. Retrieved 25 January 2021. A person of the name of Trumbull was taken up for high Treason on Sunday night and committed Irond to Prison.
  4. ^ Trumbull, John (March 10, 1780). "To George Washington from John Trumbull, 10 March 1780". Founders Online, National Archives. Archived from the original on 8 November 2021. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  5. Wiley and Putnam. pp. 66–68
    .
  6. ^ Digges, Thomas (December 29, 1780). "To Benjamin Franklin from Thomas Digges, 29 December 1780". Founders Online, National Archives. Archived from the original on 14 October 2021. Retrieved 25 January 2021. Mr. T——ll, before His misfortune, finishd an exceeding good picture of W——n. —full length & very much admird as a good painting.
  7. ^ Trumbull (1841), pp. 68–74.
  8. ^ Trumbull (1841), p. 324, Appendix.
  9. ^ Trumbull (1841), pp. 333–335, Appendix.
  10. ^ Trumbull (1841), pp. 80–87.
  11. ^ Trumbull (1841), p. 337, Appendix.
  12. ^ Trumbull, John. "George Washington, (painting)". Inventory of American Sculpture, Smithsonian Institution Research Information System. Smithsonian American Art Museum. IAP 36120082. Archived from the original on 2023-10-02. Retrieved 2021-01-25.
  13. ^ a b Green, Valentine. "General Washington". Fraunces Tavern. Archived from the original on 2023-10-02. Retrieved 2021-01-25.
  14. ^ Green, Valentine. "General Washington". Library of Congress. Archived from the original on 2023-10-02. Retrieved 2021-01-25.
  15. ^ Le Roy, Jacques. "G. Washington". Mount Vernon Ladies' Association. Archived from the original on 2020-08-11. Retrieved 2021-01-25.
  16. LCCN 08005601.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link
    )
  17. ISBN 0-89467-024-7
    .
  18. ^ "7c Washington Bicentennial". National Postal Museum. Archived from the original on 2021-01-30. Retrieved 2021-01-25.
  19. ^ "Bicentennial Commemorative Postage Stamps". Report of the United States George Washington Bicentennial Commission. Vol. 5. United States George Washington Bicentennial Commission. 1932. pp. 152–155.
  20. JSTOR 3254869. Archived
    from the original on 2021-02-02. Retrieved 2021-01-25.

External links
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