Artwork
George Washington
George Washington is an oil painting. It dates from 1797 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
A man in a black coat and white cravat stares straight ahead, his face lit softly from the side. Painted on glass rather than canvas, the colors glow like lamplight. One of the earliest known portraits of George Washington made in his lifetime, in 1797, it works from memory or a print, so the features feel slightly off.
Subject & Meaning
The composition, typical of early American portraiture, conveys notions of civic responsibility and leadership associated with the office he occupied.
The work presents George Washington as a male sitter, rendered in oil on glass in 1797. As an anonymous portrait within the American Wing, it functions as a visual record of the first U.S. President, emphasizing his identity as a man and public figure. The composition, typical of early American portraiture, conveys notions of civic responsibility and leadership associated with the office he occupied.
By depicting Washington in a straightforward manner, the painting underscores his status as a national symbol while reflecting the artistic conventions of the period.
Technique & Style
The painting is executed in oil on a glass support, a technique that was unusual for full‑scale portraits and suggests a specialized handling process typical of works intended for display behind protective glazing. The work, dated 1797, is attributed to an anonymous American painter and is classified within the portrait genre in The American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. As an oil on glass piece, it retains a luminous surface that contributes to the crisp delineation of George Washington’s likeness, while its formal composition follows contemporary 18th‑century portrait conventions, presenting the sitter in a three‑quarter view typical of the period.
History & Provenance
Created in 1797, this oil-on-glass portrait depicts George Washington. The work was executed by an anonymous artist, as no specific creator has been identified in historical records. Currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the painting is classified within the institution's American Wing.
The museum accessioned the piece under the number 24.109.115. While the exact circumstances of its original commission and the identity of its first owner remain unrecorded in the available documentation, the work's inception is firmly dated to the turn of the nineteenth century. It serves as a genre portrait focusing on the former president, representing a specific mode of American portraiture from the Federal era.
The 1797 oil-on-glass portrait of George Washington is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, specifically within its American Wing. The work is cataloged under the accession number 24.109.115. While the piece is attributed to an unknown artist and remains part of the museum's permanent holdings, the available records do not list specific past exhibitions or loan history for this object.
Context
The 1797 oil on glass portrait of George Washington, attributed to an anonymous artist, is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s American Wing and classified as a portrait. Its inclusion in the American Wing highlights its significance within early American portraiture, while the anonymous authorship reflects the limited documentation of painters in the young republic. The work’s provenance, medium, and dating provide essential data for understanding the development of portrait conventions in the United States, situating it as a representative example of post‑revolutionary portraiture within the museum’s collection.
Overview
This early portrait of George Washington, rendered in oil on glass, offers a unique glimpse into the nascent visual representation of the future president. Created during his lifetime, it stands among the initial attempts to depict the prominent figure. The artwork is housed within The American Wing, reflecting its historical significance in American art.
Artist & collection
