George Washington

Art Historical Context

Charles Willson Peale's 1778 print portrait of *George Washington* captures the War hero at a pivotal moment in American history. Painted by one of colonial America's foremost artists, Peale—himself a soldier, naturalist, and founder of nation's first public museum—depicted Washington as a steadfast general and colonial statesman. This work, now in the Smithsonian American Art Museum's collection, reflects Peale's neoclassical style, emphasizing dignity and virtue to inspire the fledgling nation's citizens. As a print, the medium was revolutionary in its own right, allowing widespread dissemi...