Lansdowne portrait
| Lansdowne portrait | |
|---|---|
| Artist | Gilbert Stuart |
| Year | 1796 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 247.6 cm × 158.7 cm (97.5 in × 62.5 in) |
| Location | National Portrait Gallery, Washington, D.C. |
The Lansdowne portrait is an iconic life-size portrait of George Washington painted by Gilbert Stuart in 1796. It depicts the 64-year-old president of the United States during his final year in office. The portrait was a gift to former British Prime Minister William Petty, 1st Marquess of Lansdowne, and spent more than 170 years in England.
Stuart painted three replicas of the Lansdowne, and five portraits that were closely related to it. His most famous replica has hung in the East Room of the White House since 1800. Numerous other artists also painted copies.
First Lady Dolley Madison, George Washington Parke Custis, Paul Jennings, the president’s steward Jean-Pierre Sioussat and Gardener Thomas McGrath saved the White House replica from being destroyed in the August 24, 1814, Burning of Washington, D.C. by the British.
In 2001, to preclude the original Lansdowne Portrait's imminent sale at auction by Sotheby's New York, the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. purchased it for $20 million with donations from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation.