George Washington (1732-1799)
1850
Rembrandt Peale was absolutely obsessed with capturing the 'true' face of George Washington, having actually sketched him from life way back in 1795 when he was just a teenager. Decades later, he perfected this iconic oval portrait, framing the first president against a warm, glowing reddish background to make him look like a timeless, heroic figure rather than a stiff politician. The heavy, cracked texture visible here gives it the feel of an ancient artifact, almost like a leather-bound memory of the founding father. Peale essentially turned Washington into a brand, selling copies of this 'porthole' style portrait to help fund his family's museum in Philadelphia!
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