This painting is one of a group of views of Mount Vernon executed by Russell Smith during or just after his 1839 visit to the estate. At the time, George Washington’s Mount Vernon –and particularly the old and new tomb–were revered as national pilgrimage sites, a place where visitors could experience the greatness of Washington and the founding generation. The estate remained privately owned by Washington descendants, and was beginning to show the effects of heavy visitation. Here, Smith has presented a striking view of the mansion from the Potomac, and framed it with vegetation. A large cloud formation, which contains a face at far left, may suggest Washington in Heaven.