The Many Faces of George Washington

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Scholars cite George Washington (1732-1799) as one of the most recognizable figures in American history. For more than two hundred years, professional and amateur artists from across the world have depicted Washington in his different stages of life—as general, president, “husbandman,” and Freemason.

The Museum owns over 500 different prints that depict first president and Freemason, George Washington. Dr. William L. Guyton (1915-2011) and his wife Mary B. Guyton (1915-2003) donated the majority of the prints to the Museum in the mid-1980s.

The prints in the collection illustrate the vastly different ways in which artists interpreted Washington’s likeness throughout his lifetime and after his death. The Many Faces of Washington highlights illustrations of George Washington that reflect not only his different roles but also Americans changing perception of Washington as an iconic American figure.

Caption: His Excellency George Washington Lieut. Genl. of the Armies of the United States of America, ca. 1798. F. Bartoli; John Galland (active 1796-1817), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The Many Faces of George Washington