Portrait of George Washington

Portrait of George Washington

Gilbert Suart's Landowne's portrait of George Washington is one of the most famous in American history. The author's intent with this painting and of the particular pose Washington was depicted in was designed to show readers that he is representative of the country as a whole. Part of the enduring legacy of this portrait is attributed to the fact that it is loaded with symbolism. Stuart completed this portrait of Washington in 1796 (Washington, 2015), when he was still president of the United States. As such, there are several different symbolic elements in this painting that are indicative of Washington's status as one of -- if not the -- most eminent people in the country.

One of the most obvious elements of symbolism in this particular portrait is the image of Washington himself. He is standing, holding a sword in one hand and gesturing with his right hand. Both of these facts of this portrait are extremely significant. The extended hand gesture, with the right hand in particular, was a classical pose of numerous speakers. Utilizing this tradition in art and in what was later known as art history was something that Roman and Greek artists did for some of their most important people and deities. Therefore, illustrating Washington in a similar pose helps to continue this tradition and associate a degree of seriousness and importance to his figure -- which is discernible even if one did not expressly know who he was. Additionally, the fact that the he is holding a sword in his left hand is symbolic of the military might which was attributed to Washington following his success in the Revolutionary War. That the sword is sheathed and pointed down implies that the country is not currently at war, but that both it and Washington still possess the military might of a leader of a powerful country. Again, there are numerous Roman and Greek leaders who were depicted with their weapons, so that even this aspect of the portrait follows Western art traditions.

If the intention of the aforementioned symbolism was to present Washington as the leader of the United States, certain elements of additional symbolism in this painting reinforce this notion. For instance, Washington is actually standing between two columns. Columns are definitely suggestive of Westernized art and the Greco-Roman tradition of art history, and help to contribute to the stateliness of Washington and his stature as a leader. Additionally, in the chair behind Washington there is a depiction of the seal of the United States. That seal was and is an international symbol of this country. By choosing to put it in this portrait of Washington, the painter was being extremely explicit about Washington's stature in the country and the fact that he represents that country.