George Washington on CanvasHugh Howard's new book The Painter's Chair: George Washington & the Making of America Art reveals the relationship between our first President and the development of American art and specifically, portraiture.
In the days before digital photos became a storytelling standard, paintings were used to convey events and to make statements about politics, religion, and famous people. Portrait painting got a major boost during the Renaissance; with the birth of our new nation, portraiture became especially popular as artists looked for work and Americans looked for many ways to understand their new country and its founding fathers.
Among the 28 portraitists who painted George Washington (1732-1799), four very different artists stand out: Charles Wilson Peale, John Trumbull, Benjamin West, and Gilbert Stuart. Howard tells their stories and explains their relationships with our first President in an engaging way that will appeal to history and art history fans alike.
Post by Bev Simmons
