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Lot Essay
John Trumbull painted three known lifetime bust-length portraits of George Washington, including the present work. The other two are in the collections of the Yale University Art Gallery and Harvard University Art Museums, respectively. These portraits, designated as 'civilian type' by Trumbull scholar Theodore Sizer, depict the president in a black jacket and ruffled white collar, the costume chosen for formal state occasions during his presidency. Painted around 1793, George Washington depicts the President at the beginning of his second term, after he was unanimously re-elected by the Electoral College.
Trumbull was born into American politics. His father, Jonathan Trumbull, was the Governor of Connecticut and shortly after John's graduation from Harvard, he joined the army to fight in the American Revolutionary War. In 1775, Trumbull served in the Continental Army as an aide-de-camp to Washington. In 1780, Trumbull went to London to study with Benjamin West, widely considered to be the best history painter of the period. West encouraged Trumbull to paint small pictures of the American Revolution and to also try his hand at miniatures. Trumbull also traveled to Paris, where he began, at the suggestion of Thomas Jefferson, to work on a painting which depicted the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Trumbull completed several major history paintings abroad, including the Death of General Warren at the Battle of Bunker's Hill (1786, Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, Connecticut). Other paintings, including The Declaration of Independence, 4 July 1776 (1787-1820, Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, Connecticut), were underway, only to be completed later. Irma Jaffe writes that, upon his return, "Trumbull was anxious to win Washington's consent to pose for the history paintings. Probably through Jonathan he was invited to dine at the President's New York home on 14 January, and the following week President and Mrs. Washington visited the artist to see his paintings. Evidently satisfied that the enthusiastic reports he had had of his former aide-de-camp were justified, Washington agreed to a first sitting." (Irma B. Jaffe, John Trumbull: Patriot-Artist of the Revolution, New York, 1975, p. 151)
Trumbull was one of the few artists granted access to Washington to sit for lifetime portraits. While Gilbert Stuart's 'Athenaeum' portrait is the most commonly accepted likeness, Trumbull's sympathetic yet dignified portrayal of Washington must be considered for its authenticity, given his personal connection and profound understanding of the President's character. Trumbull is renowned as an important documentarian of early American history and his works, which combine the elements of Revolutionary history and detailed portrait painting, and helped to create the extraordinary cult of Washington extant both in Washington's lifetime and well after his death in 1799.
Trumbull was born into American politics. His father, Jonathan Trumbull, was the Governor of Connecticut and shortly after John's graduation from Harvard, he joined the army to fight in the American Revolutionary War. In 1775, Trumbull served in the Continental Army as an aide-de-camp to Washington. In 1780, Trumbull went to London to study with Benjamin West, widely considered to be the best history painter of the period. West encouraged Trumbull to paint small pictures of the American Revolution and to also try his hand at miniatures. Trumbull also traveled to Paris, where he began, at the suggestion of Thomas Jefferson, to work on a painting which depicted the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Trumbull completed several major history paintings abroad, including the Death of General Warren at the Battle of Bunker's Hill (1786, Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, Connecticut). Other paintings, including The Declaration of Independence, 4 July 1776 (1787-1820, Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, Connecticut), were underway, only to be completed later. Irma Jaffe writes that, upon his return, "Trumbull was anxious to win Washington's consent to pose for the history paintings. Probably through Jonathan he was invited to dine at the President's New York home on 14 January, and the following week President and Mrs. Washington visited the artist to see his paintings. Evidently satisfied that the enthusiastic reports he had had of his former aide-de-camp were justified, Washington agreed to a first sitting." (Irma B. Jaffe, John Trumbull: Patriot-Artist of the Revolution, New York, 1975, p. 151)
Trumbull was one of the few artists granted access to Washington to sit for lifetime portraits. While Gilbert Stuart's 'Athenaeum' portrait is the most commonly accepted likeness, Trumbull's sympathetic yet dignified portrayal of Washington must be considered for its authenticity, given his personal connection and profound understanding of the President's character. Trumbull is renowned as an important documentarian of early American history and his works, which combine the elements of Revolutionary history and detailed portrait painting, and helped to create the extraordinary cult of Washington extant both in Washington's lifetime and well after his death in 1799.