From Canvas to Country: How Gilbert Stuart Defined America’s Leaders

Gilbert Stuart established the tradition of presidential portraits by painting the likeness of the first six presidents.

A detail of "George Washington (The Athenaeum Portrait)," 1796, by Gilbert Stuart. The one-dollar bill is based on this “Athenaeum” portrait. Public Domain

When flames threaten to erase everything, instinct takes over and people reach for what matters most. As British troops advanced on Washington during the War of 1812, that instinct guided First Lady Dolley Madison inside the White House. Determined that a symbol of the young nation should not fall into enemy hands, she ordered that Gilbert Stuart’s portrait of George Washington be removed from the White House and carried to safety. Minutes later, the British arrived and set the building ablaze, but the image of Washington—and all it represented—survived.

The Power of Presidential Portraiture

"George Washington (Lansdowne Portrait)," April 12, 1796, by Gilbert Stuart. Oil on canvas; 97 1/2 inches by 62 1/2 inches. National Portrait Gallery, Washington. Public Domain