George Washington Before the Battle of Trenton

ExpandFavorite

View PDF

Status

Not on view

Datec. 1850-1865

Maker Unknown

After Thomas Cheesman (English, 1760 - 1834)

After John Trumbull (American, 1756 - 1843)

Geography Made - United States

Medium/TechniqueMultimedia (wool, silk, chenille [poss.], metallic purl, glass and metal beads, and paint) on linen canvas; berlinwork (canvaswork); glass, wood frame

DimensionsOverall (Framed H x W): 60 7/8 in. × 52 1/4 in. × 2 in. (154.62 cm × 132.72 cm × 5.08 cm) Overall (Sight H x W): 54 in. × 45 1/2 in. (137.16 cm × 115.57 cm)

Credit LineGift of Dr. Stephanie Bennett-Smith, 2016

Object numberM-5508

DescriptionVertically oriented rectangular composition depicting full-length standing figure of George Washington, in a battlefield setting, after John Trumbull’s painting, General George Washington at Trenton. Washington is shown full front, head turned to proper right. He is dressed in military uniform, with blue double-breasted coat with collar, buff facings, and gold buttons and epaulets; buff waistcoat and breeches, and black and brown boots with spurs. His right hand is extended at chest height and grasps a small pocket spyglass; his left hand is fisted and rests on his left hip, holding behind him a black hat with red and tan lining. From his waist hang a fob (at his right front) and a sword in black scabbard with gold fittings (at his left side). Behind Washington, to his proper right, stands a soldier, dressed in similar military uniform, holding the reins of a rearing brown horse. Both the soldier’s hat and the horse’s mane are blowing in the wind. Below the horse is the barrel of a cannon, and behind that, a distant view of a battlefield scene that includes, at center, a small group of blue-coated soldiers clustered an American flag with blue canton and ten white or silver stars in a circle, and at the proper right edge a house or tent. To Washington’s proper left lies the wreckage of a cannon carriage, including a broken wooden timbers and a wheel; behind that is a gnarled tree trunk with two branches and brown leaves. The sky is a dark blue with suggestions of silver white cloud formations.

The portrait is worked primarily in wool yarns with accents of silk and chenille yarns, gold and silver purl, and colored glass and metallic beads, on a mono canvas ground woven 18 threads per inch. The sky is painted. The majority of the piece is worked in cross stich, stitched 2/2, 9 stitches per inch. Washington’s face is stitched in smaller tent stitches, 1/1, 18 stitches per inch. His coat, waistcoat, and breeches are worked with different yarns (possibly chenille) using an identified stitch. Metallic purl is used for the epaulets, buttons, and sword knot. Metallic and glass beads in various colors are used for the horse’s eye, teeth, bridle bit and ornaments, stirrups, and shoes and nails; Washington’s spurs, knee button, pistol holster and scabbard fittings; and the soldier’s helmet and coat buttons. There is an under layer of finer, plain weave white linen. The portrait is housed in a later wood frame; there is no glazing.

The portrait is accompanied by provenance documentation contained in a scrapbook.

Mount Vernon's object research is ongoing and information about this object is subject to change. For information on image use and reproductions, click here.