1992.B.56 Valentine Green after Charles Wilson Peale, General Washington


GENERAL DESCRIPTION  
George Washington sat for Charles Wilson Peale on seven occasions over a period of 23 years. This print is based on Peale's first full length portrait of Washington executed in 1779 representing Washington at the Battle of Princeton and was commissioned by the Supreme Executive Committee of Pennsylvania. At the General's feet are the flags of the conquered armies. The painting was an enormous success, and to answer the demand for copies, Peale sent the image to England to be engraved. There Thomas Stothard, a British draftsman, made a drawing of Peale's work that was used by Valentine Green for his mezzotint, an arduous printing process resulting in rich, velvety blacks that was fashionable in the second half of the 18th century. Stothard used some artistic license in his drawing, eliminating an aide, a horse, and significantly, the British flag lying as a trophy on the ground.

Adapted from
  • DMA Unpublished material
  • Two Centuries of Prints in America 1680-1880: A Selective Catalogue of the Winterthur Museum Collection, E. McSherry Fowble University of Virginia, Charlottesville, p 131


NOTES
Created 1785

TMS record has been reviewed.
Object file has been reviewed.
Department was American in 2007, now European.

Added George Washington as depicted individual.

p 131 Two Centuries of Prints in America 1680-1880: A Selective Catalogue of the Winterthur Museum Collection, E. McSherry Fowble University of Virginia, Charlottesville
Should add published by: J. Brown
CWP worked with GWashington on seven occassions: 1772, 1776, 1777, 1779, 1783, 1787, and 1795.
Fun fact: George Washington disliked sitting for portraits so copies of the few portraits made from life was a popular business.

No provenance or pre-acq exhibition history text.

Only related exhibition- Faces of a new Nation: Colonial American Portraits

No publications in biblio text field or biblio module.
Sources could be added based on photocopies in the object file, catalogue raisonne references shown on the catalogue entry for the Winterthur Museum's Two Centuries of Prints in America.
Cat rias- Hart 18; Baker 12; J.C. Smith, additions and corrections, II 592.

The following curatorial remarks are moved to text entries:
George Washington sat for Peale on seven occasions over a period of 23 years.  This print is a mezzotint, an arduous process resulting in rich, velvety blacks that was fashionable in the second half of the 18th century.  It is based on a painting executed in 1779 representing Washington at the Battle of Princeton.  At the General's feet are the flags of the conquered armies.  The painting was an enormous success, and to answer the demand for copies, Peale sent the image to England to be engraved.  There Thomas Stothard, a British draftsman, made a drawing of Peale's work that was used by Valentine Green for his mezzotint.  Stothard used some artistic license in his drawing, eliminating an aide, a horse, and significantly, the British flag lying as a trophy on the ground.

Change classification to engraving to show that mezzotint is a form of engraving?


Catalogue essays

Artist/designers
Thomas Stothard- drawn by
Valentine Green- engraver

Cultures

Geography 
Place of origin: London (England): TGN: 7011781
Depicted location: Princeton (New Jersey/United States): TGN: 7016190

Process/materials


Historical periods

Individuals

Subject terms
horse
hooves
saddle
portrait
George Washington
cannons
foreshortening
military uniforms
sword
waistcoat
epaulets
vegetation
grayscale
boots
hats
buildings
spurs
presidents
generals

RELATED OBJECTS 

PROVENANCE 
From 1992: Dallas Museum of Art, The Faith P. and Charles L. Bybee Collection, gift of Faith P. Bybee

AUDIO ASSETS 

VIDEO ASSETS

IMAGE ASSETS

WEB RESOURCES 

ARCHIVAL RESOURCES

FUN FACTS
  • George Washington disliked sitting for portraits so copies of the few portraits made from life was a popular business.

TEACHING IDEAS

RULES
Apply to objects where number equals 1992.B.56
Category
rules_operator
AND
General Description
 
George Washington sat for Charles Wilson Peale on seven occasions over a period of 23 years. This print is based on Peale's first full length portrait of Washington executed in 1779 representing Washington at the Battle of Princeton and was commissioned by the Supreme Executive Committee of Pennsylvania. At the General's feet are the flags of the conquered armies. The painting was an enormous success, and to answer the demand for copies, Peale sent the image to England to be engraved. There Thomas Stothard, a British draftsman, made a drawing of Peale's work that was used by Valentine Green for his mezzotint, an arduous printing process resulting in rich, velvety blacks that was fashionable in the second half of the 18th century. Stothard used some artistic license in his drawing, eliminating an aide, a horse, and significantly, the British flag lying as a trophy on the ground.

Adapted from
  • DMA Unpublished material
  • Two Centuries of Prints in America 1680-1880: A Selective Catalogue of the Winterthur Museum Collection, E. McSherry Fowble University of Virginia, Charlottesville, p 131


Fun Facts
  • George Washington disliked sitting for portraits so copies of the few portraits made from life was a popular business.

Archival Resources

Web Resources
 

Notes
Created 1785

TMS record has been reviewed.
Object file has been reviewed.
Department was American in 2007, now European.

Added George Washington as depicted individual.

p 131 Two Centuries of Prints in America 1680-1880: A Selective Catalogue of the Winterthur Museum Collection, E. McSherry Fowble University of Virginia, Charlottesville
Should add published by: J. Brown
CWP worked with GWashington on seven occassions: 1772, 1776, 1777, 1779, 1783, 1787, and 1795.
Fun fact: George Washington disliked sitting for portraits so copies of the few portraits made from life was a popular business.

No provenance or pre-acq exhibition history text.

Only related exhibition- Faces of a new Nation: Colonial American Portraits

No publications in biblio text field or biblio module.
Sources could be added based on photocopies in the object file, catalogue raisonne references shown on the catalogue entry for the Winterthur Museum's Two Centuries of Prints in America.
Cat rias- Hart 18; Baker 12; J.C. Smith, additions and corrections, II 592.

The following curatorial remarks are moved to text entries:
George Washington sat for Peale on seven occasions over a period of 23 years.  This print is a mezzotint, an arduous process resulting in rich, velvety blacks that was fashionable in the second half of the 18th century.  It is based on a painting executed in 1779 representing Washington at the Battle of Princeton.  At the General's feet are the flags of the conquered armies.  The painting was an enormous success, and to answer the demand for copies, Peale sent the image to England to be engraved.  There Thomas Stothard, a British draftsman, made a drawing of Peale's work that was used by Valentine Green for his mezzotint.  Stothard used some artistic license in his drawing, eliminating an aide, a horse, and significantly, the British flag lying as a trophy on the ground.

Change classification to engraving to show that mezzotint is a form of engraving?


Catalogue essays

Artist/designers
Thomas Stothard- drawn by
Valentine Green- engraver

Cultures

Geography 
Place of origin: London (England): TGN: 7011781
Depicted location: Princeton (New Jersey/United States): TGN: 7016190

Process/materials


Historical periods

Individuals

Subject terms
horse
hooves
saddle
portrait
George Washington
cannons
foreshortening
military uniforms
sword
waistcoat
epaulets
vegetation
grayscale
boots
hats
buildings
spurs
presidents
generals

RELATED OBJECTS 

PROVENANCE 
From 1992: Dallas Museum of Art, The Faith P. and Charles L. Bybee Collection, gift of Faith P. Bybee

AUDIO ASSETS 

VIDEO ASSETS

rules
Apply To
Objects
number
Equals
1992.B.56
tags
#draft
#completed
%copyedited_Gail
%Archived
@Schiller
@Russell
*European Art
hats (headgear): AAT: 300046106
London (England): TGN: 7011781
portrait: AAT: 300015637
boots (footwear): AAT: 300046057
buildings (structures): AAT: 300004792
sword: AAT: 300037048
military uniforms: AAT: 300248030
saddles (seats): AAT: 300212972
Washington_George: ULAN: 500126198
epaulets: AAT: 300224235
horses (animals): AAT: 300250148
hooves (animal components): AAT: 300310202
foreshortening: AAT: 300053417
vegetation: AAT: 300266061
spurs (costume accessories): AAT: 300036923
Peale_Charles Wilson: ULAN: 500017914
Peale family: ULAN: 500075317
generals (military officers): AAT: 300236762
presidents (people/occupations): AAT: 300025470
grayscale: AAT: 300312227
cannons (artillery): AAT: 300036936
waistcoats (garments): AAT: 300216053
Princeton (New Jersey/United States): TGN: 7016190
source file
object_notes_1_a-0091.xml.nores