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Mount Vernon mansion is off-center to the right. A dirt path encircles the front lawn in front of the mansion, marked by thin posts connected by thin white lines to indicate a fence. A boy is standing just in front of this fence, wearing a white shirt and tan britches. There is a path on each side of the circle that leads off the front of the painting. Two smaller paths are on the left side of the painting: one that leads into a large garden area and a second that passes between two smaller houses on the left-hand side. Three figures are walking between these two houses on the path. Next to the smaller of the two houses, trees and greenery line the path. Two figures are seen about halfway down the path. One is taller and is wearing a white shirt and white britches; the second figure is shorter and is wearing a white shirt and tan britches and holding an object in his hand.  In the foreground of the painting, a green lawn area is visible. What is most likely, a figure of George and Martha is walking on this lawn on the center left side. Washington appears to be wearing a dark blue military jacket, a white shirt, his black military hat, tan britches, and tall black boots. He is linked arm in arm with Martha, who is wearing a white skirt, a light brown top, and a bonnet. A third figure is painted slightly to the left and a set or two behind them. She is wearing a long-sleeved, all-white dress. To the right of these three figures on the large lawn, a light brown dog is engaging with a white dog, looking at a man in a light brown jacket. Next to this man in the light brown jacket is another man in a dark blue coat, with tan britches and black boots. 
 

The larger of these two houses is connected to the mansion by a light green and white outdoor covered walkway, which has three light green trees behind it. This smaller building features a blue roof, three windows on the second floor, and two windows on the first floor, along with two red chimneys. There is another smaller building next to this one, located on the left, which has one door, one window on the second floor, one red chimney, and one window on the second floor. Three individuals appear to be about to walk between these two small buildings. 
 

On the other side of the mansion, there is another light green and white outdoor covered walkway. There is a black horse-drawn carriage in front of this walkway. There are two figures of horses seen with harnesses attached to this carriage and a person sitting at the front of the carriage holding the reins of the horses. A cream-colored wall, connected to the walkway, can be seen peeking through behind a large tree on the right-hand side. Other trees are lining the path on the right-hand side of the painting.
 

The mansion is three stories tall. It has red, rough, and white walls. On the ground floor, there are three red doors equally spaced. On this first floor, there is a row of square windows. One window next to the door furthest to the left, a window above that door, and two windows next to it. The middle door features a white triangle above it. Then there are two more windows, one located furthest to the right of the door, and another. On the second floor, there are nine square windows, all approximately the same size. Above these windows, the red roof begins. In the center of the roof, directly above the middle window and door, a white triangular shape features a circular window at its center. On both the right-hand and left-hand sides of the roof, slightly towards the middle, there are two square white window build-outs with small triangles above each window. At the very top of the roof, in the center, there are three tall circular walls with rectangular windows. A red point at the top features a gold dove weather vane attached to it. Two chimneys are visible at each end of the roof. From the top of the roof, there are also two jets out from each end of the roof. 
 

The sky behind the mansion is visible through the outdoor walkway covers. It is a light yellow gold color. As the sky progresses up, it has a deeper gold-yellow tint to it. Towards the upper middle portion of the painting, it takes on a slightly grey tone, with a few faint white clouds. At the top of the painting, the sky is a light blue with a hint of grey haze. It has faint white clouds and darker grey clouds on the left and center of the painting. 

Who are the figures in this painting?

Edward Savage made a conscious decision to include nine other figures outside of the Washington Family. When discussing this painting in a classroom, it is essential to examine not only the Washington family, the mansion, and its surrounding landscape, but also the enslaved individuals who worked on the grounds and supported the family. Without those who were enslaved, Washington's mansion and plantation would not have been able to run. Keeping this in mind when analyzing the painting, the following activities support critical thinking about the culture, people, and time period during which this work of art was created. 


See Think Wonder

What do you see in this painting? 
What do you think about this painting? 
What do you wonder about this painting?


Comparing Paintings

Compare this painting to a photograph from the 1800s of the Mount Vernon Mansion

Compare this painting to a photograph from the 2020s of the Mount Vernon Mansion (scroll down to the second image shown). 


Create Your Own Artwork 

Create a work of art based on this painting. What features are you going to include and why? 

The West Front of Mount Vernon, By Edward Savage (American, 1761 - 1817), c. 1787-1792,  Oil on Canvas, Overall: 22 in. x 35 1/2 in. (55.88 cm x 90.17 cm)

This is one of two Savage paintings that are the earliest known eyewitness views of the house and grounds at Mount Vernon. They date between 1787, when the Dove of Peace weathervane was added to the Mansion's cupola, and 1792, the year the outbuildings' roofs were repainted to a Spanish brown color and the deer paddock near the East Lawn was removed. The East Front portrays the bucolic setting of the Mansion, while The West Front captures the bustle of everyday life at George Washington's famed estate.

Edward Savage possibly stopped at Mount Vernon while traveling north from South Carolina in 1791 or 1792. He perhaps painted these canvases from sketches made at that time. Although this attribution cannot be confirmed, the architectural details and figures suggest Savage's hand and he is known to have exhibited canvases depicting Mount Vernon during his lifetime.

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