Susan P. Schoelwer: “Facing Washington: The Classical Tradition”

During George Washington’s eight years as America’s first president, artists struggled to create an image that suitably represented a republican head of state — an ordinary citizen temporarily invested with power, who embodied a fragile national identity. This lecture explores the tradition of Washington portraiture as it evolved during the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, from Houdon to Canova.

This lecture is supported by the Robert H. Smith Family Foundation.