Life Portraits of Washington
George Washington sat for many portraits over the course of his life.
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Houdon's Life Mask of George Washington
It took a transatlantic visit and a little flattery to encourage George Washington to sit for Jean-Antoine Houdon, one of the preeminent European sculptors of the 18th century.
Washington's Life Mask
Washington's Earliest Portrait
Painted by Charles Willson Peale at Mount Vernon in 1772, this is the earliest known portrait of George Washington.
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Crossing the Delaware
Explore how artists transformed Washington’s daring 1776 crossing into one of the most iconic and enduring visual narratives in American history.
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Washington by Gilbert Stuart
When Gilbert Stuart put brush to canvas during George Washington’s presidency, he painted the image most recognized today.
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Adolf Ulrik Wertmüller's Portrait
This portrait of George Washington was likely made in 1795 by Swedish painter Adolf Ulrik Wertmüller, a talented academician who had been appointed “First Painter” to the King of Sweden.
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Dolley Madison Comes to the Rescue
Although the Burning of Washington transpired long after George Washington’s death, the first president played an important part; Dolley Madison chose to rescue his portrait from the White House just before the building went up in flames.
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Two Peales Paint Washington
Charles Polk Peale likely found inspiration for George Washington at Princeton in his uncle's well known 1779 painting of the subject
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Artists Exalt George Washington
Washington's sudden death on December 14, 1799, occurred at a critical point in American history and occasioned an unparalleled show of artistic admiration aimed at a stunned and sorrowful public.
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Collections Online
Check out Mount Vernon's remarkable collection of Washington and Mount Vernon objects and artifacts.
Interactive
Be Washington™: It's Your Turn to Lead
Do you have what it takes to lead like Washington? In this interactive experience, you will step into the shoes of the first president and commander and chief and make the very same decisions he had to.