Description
Christie's
George Washington at Princeton from the Collection of Mrs. J. Insley Blair
New York
1/21/06
Sale 1618
This post auction catalog consists of 25 pages with 1 Lot illustrated in color and all described in detail. Catalog is in fine condition.
This magnificent portrait by Charles Willson Peale will lead the sale of Property from the Collection of Mrs. J. Insley Blair. Signed and dated 1779, the work is one of eight known full-length Washington portraits Peale painted over a three-year period between 1779 and 1781 during the Revolutionary War.
Presenting the ideals of a nation fervently fighting for its independence in the persona of George Washington, this portrait celebrates the victories at Trenton and Princeton, yet also indicates that much hangs in the balance and that there are battles ahead. In an allegorical sense, the epic portrait reminds the viewer that the struggle for liberty is never over, a sentiment that resonated with its later owners.
Sent to Spain by Charles Willson Peale (1741-1827) soon after its completion, this rendition of the American General was intended to promote the American cause abroad and coincided with Spain's formal entry into the conflict. Thus, this portrait can be viewed as one of the earliest emblems of American diplomacy, conceived and executed before the triumph of independence.
Representing the pinnacle of Peale's portraiture, six of the eight portraits are in United States institutions including the Senate; the Metropolitan Museum of Art; Yale University Art Gallery; Colonial Williamsburg; Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts; and Princeton University Art Museum.
