George Washington (Porthole type)

Object Details

Artist

Rembrandt Peale, 22 Feb 1778 - 3 Oct 1860

Sitter

George Washington, 22 Feb 1732 - 14 Dec 1799

Exhibition Label

Rembrandt Peale, son of American artist Charles Willson Peale, painted George Washington from life in 1795 when he was seventeen. He later made numerous portraits of the president based on his memory of this sitting and on likenesses by other artists. From these, he developed an idealized image—known by the Latin name “Pater Patriae” (Father of His Country)—which served as a model for his many so-called “porthole” portraits of Washington. In these compositions, the subject’s face is seen through an oval stonework frame—an honorific convention in European art dating from the Renaissance.

Rembrandt Peale, hijo del artista estadounidense Charles Willson Peale, pintó a George Washington del natural en 1795, a los 17 años de edad. Luego creó numerosos retratos del presidente basado en sus recuerdos de aquella sesión y en obras de otros artistas. Así desarrolló una imagen idealizada, conocida como el “Pater Patriae” (padre de la patria), que sirvió de modelo para sus muchos retratos de Washington estilo “claraboya”. En estos, la cara del presidente se ve a través de una ventana ovalada en un muro, usanza dignificadora en el arte europeo que data del Renacimiento.

Provenance

Hanson K. Corning, New York; Ephraim L. Corning, Geneva, Switzerland; Hanson K. Corning; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, subject to life interest in the donor’s niece Marguerite D. Velay [Mrs. Maxime Velay]; The Metropolitan Museum; sold 1975 to NPG

Credit Line

National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of an anonymous donor

c. 1853

Object number

NPG.75.4

Restrictions & Rights

CC0

Type

Painting

Medium

Oil on canvas

Dimensions

Sight (Verified): 89.5 x 71.9cm (35 1/4 x 28 5/16")

Frame (Verified): 117.5 x 99.9 x 10.6cm (46 1/4 x 39 5/16 x 4 3/16")

Stretcher: 91.8 × 74.3 × 2.9 cm (36 1/8 × 29 1/4 × 1 1/8")

See more items in

National Portrait Gallery Collection

Exhibition

America's Presidents (Reinstallation September 2017)

On View

NPG, South Gallery 240

National Portrait Gallery

Topic

Architecture

Costume\Dress Accessory\Epaulet

George Washington: Male

George Washington: Military\Army\Officer\Revolution

George Washington: Politics and Government\Statesman\Colonial Statesman

George Washington: Natural Resources\Agriculturist\Farmer

George Washington: Military\Army\Officer\General

George Washington: Politics and Government\President of US

George Washington: Science and Technology\Engineer\Surveyor

George Washington: Congressional Gold Medal

Portrait

Record ID

npg_NPG.75.4

Usage of Metadata (Object Detail Text)

CC0

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm4949e8bb6-c71c-4526-a650-10025e53dfb9