A look into the Lansdowne
Having gotten to know the artists who made him, it is imperative to look carefully at what they made. Doing so can give many clues on what was thought of Washington, not only by the artist but by the public, at the time of its painting. The Lansdowne portrait by Gilbert Stuart is teeming with clues to Washington's character and presence at the time of it's creation. In his essay "George Washington: A National Treasure," Richard Brookhiser brilliantly examines the work, and his findings are noted below.
Though the Lansdowne was not created at Washington's assumption to the presidency, it can still be considered a "state portrait" given the amount of iconography that is used in it. State portraits were extremely popular in the late 18th and early 19th century, and this portrait of Washington best exemplifies that type of portrait. Gilbert Stuart also painted a very similar portrait to the Lansdowne, the Munro-Lenox, just a few years later. This suggests that this presentation of Washington was appreciated or favored.
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