''George Washington'' (also known as ''Washington and the Departure of the British Garrison from New York City'') is a large full-length

oil painting Oil painting is a painting method involving the procedure of painting with pigments combined with a drying oil as the Binder (material), binder. It has been the most common technique for artistic painting on canvas, wood panel, or oil on coppe ...

by American artist

John Trumbull John Trumbull (June 6, 1756 – November 10, 1843) was an American painter and military officer best known for his historical paintings of the American Revolutionary War, of which he was a veteran. He has been called the "Painter of the Revolut ...

in 1790. Trumbull's earlier 1790 work, ''

Washington at Verplanck's Point ''Washington at Verplanck's Point'' is a full-length portrait in oil painted in 1790 by the American artist John Trumbull of General George Washington at Verplanck's Point on the North River in New York during the American Revolutionary War. T ...

'', which he had gifted to Washington's wife Martha, had been very well received. In consequence, Trumbull received a July, 1790, commission from the corporation for the City of New York, led by

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

Richard Varick Richard Varick (March 15, 1753 – July 30, 1831) was an American lawyer, military officer, and politician who has been referred to as "The Forgotten Founding Father." A major figure in the development of post-Independence New York City and the ...

, to paint the president's portrait. Rather than beginning anew, Trumbull enormously scaled up the prior work, enlarging it from roughly 30" by 20" to nearly four times the size, 108" by 72". In composition and general character the two paintings are substantially the same, with only the middle background as seen through Washington's horse's legs changed, from a September 14, 1782 review of Continental Army troops he had staged for departing French commander-in-chief General Rochambeau to an idealized vision of Evacuation Day, Washington's return to New York City upon the British departure on November 25, 1783. This painting is located in the historic Governor's Room of

New York City Hall New York City Hall is the Government of New York City, seat of New York City government, located at the center of City Hall Park in the Civic Center, Manhattan, Civic Center area of Lower Manhattan, between Broadway (Manhattan), Broadway, Park R ...

Background

Trumbull in a letter to his mentor, the painter

Benjamin West Benjamin West (October 10, 1738 – March 11, 1820) was a British-American artist who painted famous historical scenes such as ''The Death of Nelson (West painting), The Death of Nelson'', ''The Death of General Wolfe'', the ''Treaty of Paris ( ...

, on August 30, 1790 wrote:

Composition

The pose and general composition are virtual of copies of ''

'' painted earlier in 1790, but instead of the background seen through the horse's legs being a romanticized depiction of a review of

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies representing the Thirteen Colonies and later the United States during the American Revolutionary War. It was formed on June 14, 1775, by a resolution passed by the Second Continental Co ...

troops at their encampment at New York's

Verplanck's Point Verplanck's Point lies at the southernmost end of the hamlet of Verplanck in the town of Cortlandt, New York in the upper northwest corner of Westchester County. Both derive their name from the activities of the Verplanck family, established in ...

Washington had staged for departing French commander-in-chief General Rochambeau on September 14, 1782, it is an idealized vision of Evacuation Day, Washington's return to New York City upon the British departure on November 25, 1783. It was put on display in the Governor's Room of

, where it remains.

Engraving

In 1899, Samuel Arlent Edwards engraved a version entitled ''Washington'' and noted as "From the painting by J. Trumbull in the City Hall, New York".

Notes

References

External links

* Owner:

Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library is an American estate and museum in Winterthur, Delaware. Winterthur houses one of the richest collections of Americana (culture), Americana in the United States. The museum and estate were the home of Hen ...