George Washington
1795
Gilbert Stuart painted this iconic portrait of George Washington in 1796, and here's the twist — he never actually finished it! Stuart kept the original for himself, using it as a template to crank out over 100 copies that he sold to eager collectors. Those stern, steady eyes and powdered white hair you see here? That's the very face that ended up on the US one-dollar bill. Washington reportedly hated sitting for portraits, but Stuart managed to capture a look of quiet authority that has defined how America sees its first president for over two centuries.
- Technique
- oil on canvas
Location: National Portrait Gallery, Washington, D.C. (jointly owned with Museum of Fine Arts, Boston)
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