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George Washington (The Constable-Hamilton Portrait)
oil on canvas, c. 1850-1890, unsigned,
,
- Condition: The painting in very good condition, with some scrapes and dings to the frame.
- Size: 23 by 16 in. (57 x 40 cm.)
- Provenance: From a Sherman Oaks, Ca. collection.
- Framing: Sold framed
- Note: This iconic image of Washington as president is perhaps the best known portrait of Washington and has been reproduced in numerous etchings and the head graces the one dollar bill.
Notes from the National Portrait Gallery Catalog:Washington’s oratorical pose refers to his address to Congress on December 8, 1795, which included his support of the recently signed second treaty with England, known today as the "Jay Treaty" because its chief negotiator was John Jay. The paper, pen, and inkwell on the table suggest the treaty, signed in London on November 19, 1794, and ratified by the United States Senate on June 24, 1795. William Bingham was a leader in the Senate’s ratification of the treaty, which went into effect on February 29, 1796. The House of Representatives resisted appropriating the funds needed to carry out its provisions, and it was during this tense legislative process that Bingham commissioned Stuart to paint the full-length portrait. The completed painting was shipped in November 1796 to London, where it was placed on view at Lansdowne House. Its success as a presidential image was immediate. As the only full-length portrait that depicts Washington as president rather than as a general, the image was much admired by political supporters, who commissioned versions for themselves. In 1800, after Washington’s death, one version was purchased with United States Treasury funds and placed on display at the White House. This was the portrait that Dolly Madison rescued in 1814, when, during the War of 1812, the British army attacked Washington and burned both the President’s House and the United States Capitol. That portrait was returned to the White House in 1817 and can be seen today on view in the East Room.
The Constable-Hamilton Portrait was commissioned by William Constable as a gift to Alexander Hamilton, in whose family it resided for many generations before being bequeathed to the New York Public Library. Subsequently in 2005 the painting was acquired for 8.5 million dollars at auction by the Crystal Bridges Museum in Bentonville Arkansas and where it is on display today.
Our painting is a faithful copy of the Constable-Hamilton version with the treaty in his lap. The age of the stretchers and canvas on our painting suggest this is a vintage copy of this iconic portrait of Washington by America's best known painter of the founding fathers.
| Estimates* |
US $ |
Euro |
UK pound |
Swiss Fr |
1000-2000 |
910-1820 |
820-1640 |
1010-2020 |
| *
Estimates do not include 25% buyer's premium (see Terms and Conditions). NR means no reserve (minimum bid $50 unless otherwise posted). Estimates in other currencies based on conversion rates of Euro: 0.91 , British Pound 0.82, Swiss Fr 1.01. All conversion values are approximate with
the final cost determined in dollars.
workcode: gs-1873h-52
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