George Washington

This miniature was painted after a bust-length portrait by Gilbert Stuart, in which Washington appears in a black jacket and white tie, his lips pursed in a serious expression. In 1845 the Charleston, South Carolina, Courier published this description of the miniature: ​“Benevolence, wisdom, and dignity are alike impressed on the venerable features; and so excellent is the likeness — so full, too of all the elements of goodness and greatness — that the beholder almost feels himself in the presence of the departed excellence.” Conservation of this miniature was made possible through a generous grant provided by the Smithsonian Women’s Committee.