first Presidents and Administrations
One of George Washington's most famous portraits commonly known as the "Lansdowne Portrait",was painted by Gilbert Stuart, a famous painter known for his many portraits of America's first president, and was completed in 1796, during one of George Washington's last years as president. This painting depicts Washington's character with everything from his hands to his clothes, and it was Washington who truly set America on its course for success and it was he who created such a strong American identity as the U.S.'s only unanimously voted president. Sitting on the table to the left of Washington is an inkwell and a quill. These represents Washington's main tools and from where his power comes from, legislation and the government, not a monarchical rule. In the background outside the window is one of the most interesting parts of the painting. In the distance there are storm clouds, but by looking carefully one can see that there is a rainbow forming to the right of the clouds. This could symbolize the strong American identity of how the United States of America was born from a storm of war and revolution, but the future is a beautiful peaceful rainbow under just presidents such as George Washington.
Another famous portrait of Washington, entitled "George Washington," by Gilbert Stuart in 1805, this painting depicts more of George Washington's character as there is no background to the painting. In this portrait Washington wears a very similar simple, black overcoat. His simplicity in wardrobe shows his purposeful distancing from a wealth monarchy, and his choice to be shown as a more common man. This idea of being depicted as a common, from rags to riches American became a popular American movement as Americans felt that their identity as a country went beyond their own personal identities, and so instead of showing wealth in their dressing manner, they decided to be shown as a universal American.
This portrait of John Adams was commissioned in 1800, but only finished in 1815 by Giblert Stuart. Once again this portrait depicts a wealthy and powerful man, he was the President at the time of the painting, in a simple black jacket. Compared to the elaborate and vain golden, tasseled jackets that the European elite wore, here John Adams is only wearing a common black coat. Comparison between the early American elites' portraits and European elites' shows the stark difference in national identity as the Europeans felt the need to show individual dominance while Americans were satisfied with the universal American wardrobe. Stuart does an amazing job painting an inquisitive and caring look onto the United States' second president. This look again is very different from the stern, chin-held-high look that European aristocrats often appeared as in portraits. The genuine curiosity that John Adams has is very different from the rest of the world at the time, and it shows the strong, defying identity that America was building for itself.
As part of Gilbert Stuarts Gibbs-Coolidge collection of the first five presidents, this one painted in 1821 depicts Tomas Jefferson. This painting was of of Stuarts few portraits that was not painted from real life, but instead part from Stuarts imagination and part from other pictures he had painted of Jefferson from life. Once again Jefferson wears the common black jacket that both Washington and Adams wore. A major difference is in the way that this painting depicts Jefferson's facial features. Unlike Adam's inquisitive manner, Jefferson is depicted with a stern, piercing look similar to that of Washington in the first portrait. This shows his seriousness and sincerity that carried into his job as president and it gives a glimpse of the determination of the American people for the democratic "experiment" to succeed. Another interesting detail about this painting is the lighting. Although the area in front of Jefferson is dark and the light is coming from behind the President, Jefferson's face is still glowing. Similar to paintings of Manifest Destiny, the painting faces the darkness symbolizing the mystery of the future, while at the same time Jefferson is a bright beacon facing the darkness.
This painting, entitled "Washington Reviewing the Western Army, at Fort Cumberland, Maryland," depicts George Washington and his 14,000 men near Fort Cumberland in Maryland before the march that scattered the Whiskey rebellion in that started in 1791. This painting is attributed to Frederick Kemmelmeyer, although whether Kemmelmeyer truly was the artist is still unknown, and was created circa 1795 and currently hangs at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. On a beautiful white stallion, and taller than any man around him, Washington is depicted as a goliath of a man towering above those around him. His move of dispersing the small rebellion with thousands of trained men shows Washington's powerful and commanding nature that this painting also eventuates. Representing the America's power and people, Washington and his men are flawless with beautiful, and unrealistic, rolling mountains behind him. The bottom left of the painting has two common people who are in awe of Washington representing the American people.