George Washington. Late President of the American Congress

Public Domain

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Artist Philip Dawe(English, c. 1750–c. 1785)English, c. 1750–c. 1785

Afterafter Joseph Wright(American, 1756–1793)American, 1756–1793

Publisher D. Gally(London)London

CultureEnglish

Titles

George Washington. Late President of the American Congress

Date1801

Printed inLondon, England

MediumMezzotint and watercolor with engraving on wove paper

DimensionsPlate: 19 3/4 × 13 3/4 in. (50.2 × 35 cm)
Sheet: 20 1/8 × 14 1/4 in. (51.1 × 36.2 cm)

Credit LineThe Bayou Bend Collection, museum purchase funded by the estate of Miss Ima Hogg

Object numberB.2019.11

Current Location

Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens

Pine Room

Exposé

Explore Further

Department

Bayou Bend

Object Type

PRINTS

DescriptionJoseph Wright was born in Bordentown, New Jersey, the son of Patience Wright, the first American-born female sculptor, known for her figures in wax. Wright and his mother traveled to England in 1772, where he studied with Benjamin West. Upon his return to America, he carried a letter of introduction to George Washington from Benjamin Franklin. Wright made studies of his subject at his headquarters at Rocky Hill, New Jersey, in 1783, one of the first artists to do so. Though this image is attributed to Wright, the painting on which it is based has not been found. Published shortly after Washington’s death in 1799, this print is contemporary with the tremendous outpouring of national grief that found expression in a wide variety of objects and images that depicted and glorified the hero. This print, though titled in part President of the American Congress, clearly emphasizes Washington’s achievements as a military commander.

Provenance[Old Print Shop, New York, c. 1990]; anonymous private collector; consigned to [Christie’s, New York, December 5, 2017, sale 14998, lot 109]; purchased by [William Reese Company, New Haven, Connecticut]; purchased by MFAH, 2019.
Published References Carson, Hampton L. and Howard Coppuck Levis, The Hampton L.Carson Collection of Engraved Portraits of Gen. George Washington (Philadelphia: W. F. Fell Company, 1904), p. 24. Noted as “extremely rare.” Hart, Charles Henry, Catalogue of the Engraved Portraits of Washington (New York: The Grolier Club, 1904), Cat. no. 836, p. 352. Kimball, Fiske, “Joseph Wright and His Portraits of Washington,” The Magazine Antiques, vol. XV, no.5 (May 1929): pp. 377¬382. Smith, John Chalconer, British Mezzotint Portraits: Being a Descriptive Catalogue of These Engravings from the Introduction of the Art to the early Part of the Present Century…, Vol. 1 (London: H. Sotheran, 1884), p. 11a. Inscriptions, Signatures and Marks

Recto: Inscribed in printed ink, below image, left: Painted by R. Wright of Philadelphia
Recto: Inscribed in printed ink, below image, center: London Published by D. Gally No. 263 High Holburn, Jany. 8th, 1801.
Recto: Inscribed in printed ink, below image, right: P. Dawe, sculpt.
Recto: Inscribed in printed ink, below image, center: GENERAL WASHINGTON. / Late President of the American Congress
Verso: Inscribed in graphite, upper left: #34903
Verso: Inscribed in graphite, center bottom edge: [illegible, partial, erased]

Cataloguing data may change with further research.

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