
Portrait of George Washington: A Timeless Legacy in Paint
Among the most iconic and enduring images in American history is the stoic, steady gaze of George Washington, the first President of the United States. His image is recognized around the world, not from photographs , as none exist , but from the many portraits that were painted during and after his lifetime. These portraits immortalize Washington not only as a military leader and head of state but as a symbol of the American experiment in democracy.
Of all the images created of Washington, none is more famous, nor more storied, than the unfinished Athenaeum Portrait painted by Gilbert Stuart. This singular piece of art has shaped the image of Washington that endures today , appearing on the U.S. one-dollar bill and in countless reproductions. But what lies behind this portrait? Who was Gilbert Stuart, and why did he never complete his most important work? Where is the original today? And can we ever know what Washington truly looked like?
Let’s journey through history to explore the fascinating story of the Portrait of George Washington.
The Artist Behind the Image: Gilbert Stuart
Gilbert Stuart, born in 1755 in Rhode Island, was an ambitious and exceptionally talented portrait artist. By the time he undertook the task of painting George Washington, Stuart had already honed his craft in England under the tutelage of Benjamin West, another famed American expatriate painter. Upon returning to the United States in the 1790s, Stuart set his sights on one subject he believed would establish his reputation beyond dispute: George Washington.
Stuart was strategic and shrewd. He knew that painting Washington’s likeness could bring him fame and a stream of commissions, as the newly independent nation was eager to possess images of its founding hero. But Stuart’s motivations were also deeply personal. According to some accounts, Stuart said that he never intended to complete the original painting , he planned to keep it so he could use it to create countless reproductions for profit.
The Most Famous Portrait: The Athenaeum Portrait
The most iconic portrait of George Washington, without a doubt, is Gilbert Stuart’s Athenaeum Portrait. Painted in 1796, this half-finished canvas presents a left-facing bust of Washington. Though it only shows the head and neck, with minimal detailing of the shoulders and background, the image is majestic in its simplicity. It captures Washington at the height of his presidency, composed and commanding yet with a subtle humanity in the eyes and lips.
Despite its unfinished state, the Athenaeum Portrait became the definitive image of Washington. Stuart used it as the basis for over 100 reproductions, which he sold to patrons across the young republic. He carefully retained the original, refusing to sell it during his lifetime, as it served as his master copy.
This image became the basis for the engraving used on the U.S. one-dollar bill, making it arguably the most reproduced piece of artwork in the world.
Why Was the Athenaeum Portrait Never Finished?
The unfinished state of the Athenaeum Portrait has puzzled and fascinated art historians for centuries. The truth, as most accept, is fairly straightforward: Stuart never intended to finish it. He deliberately left it incomplete so he would always have access to the original likeness, allowing him to produce new copies and reap continued profits.
Stuart knew the value of this asset. Washington, already a national icon, was immensely popular. Stuart painted around 75 copies of the Athenaeum Portrait, charging handsome fees for each. Had he finished and sold the original, he would have lost the ability to replicate it easily.
In this sense, the portrait’s incompletion is part of its story and mystique. It reflects both the practical concerns of an artist working in a developing American art market and the larger story of how art and commerce intersected in the early republic.
Are There Any Actual Pictures of George Washington?
No actual photographs of George Washington exist , photography was not invented until the 1820s and did not become widespread until the 1840s, long after Washington’s death in 1799. Every image of him that survives is based on painted portraits, sculptures, and later engravings.
This absence of photography means that our visual understanding of Washington is filtered entirely through the interpretations of artists. While this adds an air of mystery, it also elevates the importance of the portraits that were painted from life. Each is a window into how Washington was perceived by his contemporaries , and how he chose to present himself.
Among the portraits painted from life, several stand out beyond the Athenaeum Portrait, including:
The Lansdowne Portrait (1796), also by Gilbert Stuart, which shows Washington standing, full-length, with a background of neoclassical symbols and objects.
The Vaughan Portrait, an earlier version of the Athenaeum.
Works by Charles Willson Peale, who painted Washington more than a dozen times.
Jean-Antoine Houdon’s marble bust, created from a life mask and widely considered one of the most accurate likenesses of Washington’s face.
Despite these efforts, we can never know with absolute certainty what Washington truly looked like in detail. Yet the consistent elements , the high forehead, aquiline nose, and reserved expression , offer a reasonably reliable impression of the man behind the myth.
Where Is the Original Portrait of George Washington Today?
Today, the original Athenaeum Portrait holds a place of honor in American cultural history. After Gilbert Stuart’s death in 1828, the painting remained with his family until 1831, when it was purchased jointly by the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.
These two institutions now share ownership, and the portrait is displayed alternately at both museums, allowing Americans in different parts of the country to view this treasured piece of history.
The image’s fame and influence are incalculable. Its use on currency, postage stamps, and in school textbooks has entrenched it in the American consciousness. It is so iconic that even stylized versions , in everything from pop art to political cartoons , are instantly recognizable.
Other Famous Portraits of George Washington
While the Athenaeum Portrait is the most widely recognized, it is not the only significant depiction of Washington. Other notable portraits help fill out our understanding of him:
1. The Lansdowne Portrait (1796)
Commissioned by Senator William Bingham and gifted to British Prime Minister William Petty, the Lansdowne Portrait is a grand, full-length work painted by Gilbert Stuart. It depicts Washington standing next to a desk, surrounded by symbols of the new American republic: a quill, books of laws, and a rainbow in the sky. The Lansdowne Portrait communicates authority and vision , a statesman at the height of his power.
2. Charles Willson Peale’s Works
Peale first painted Washington in 1772, before the Revolutionary War, and continued to depict him throughout his life. His most famous painting shows Washington at the Battle of Princeton, conveying both his military leadership and resolve.
3. The Houdon Bust
While not a painting, the bust sculpted by Jean-Antoine Houdon in 1785 is considered the most accurate three-dimensional likeness of Washington. Houdon took a life mask and precise measurements, creating a portrait with scientific precision.
The Power and Purpose of Washington’s Portraits
Washington understood the importance of image in shaping a legacy. Though he disliked sitting for portraits , describing it as a “tiresome affair” , he recognized that his likeness would serve as a symbol of unity and leadership. He was conscious of how his image could be used for nation-building, both in his lifetime and beyond.
Indeed, in the early United States, where photography and mass media did not exist, painted portraits were essential tools of political communication. Washington’s portraits were not merely decorations; they were visual statements about the character of the republic and its guiding values: dignity, service, restraint, and republican virtue.
A Portrait Beyond Paint
The Portrait of George Washington by Gilbert Stuart is more than a rendering of a man. It is a cornerstone of American identity, a visual shorthand for the founding era and its ideals. Through this unfinished canvas, Stuart captured not only the likeness of a man but the imagination of a nation.
Washington, for his part, remains an enigma in some ways. Tall, reserved, cautious in expression, and careful with his image , he allowed himself to be painted because he understood that posterity demanded it. And thanks to Stuart, Peale, and others, that image lives on not only in museums but in the very currency we exchange daily.
No, we have no photographs of George Washington. But in some ways, we have something richer , a painted portrait that speaks across centuries, with the quiet authority of a founding father whose legacy, like his image, endures.