YORKTOWN — A circa-1790 portrait of George Washington by American artist Charles Peale Polk went on permanent exhibit on July 4 at the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown.
The portrait — depicting Washington as commander-in-chief and victor of the Battle of Princeton on Jan. 3, 1777 — will be displayed in the Declaration of Independence rotunda in a section featuring material culture of officers and commanders of the Revolutionary War.
According to the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, the new portrait is significant, not only in storytelling at the time of our nation’s founding, but a robust addition to the its collection.
“Over the tough years of fighting the Revolutionary War, General George Washington acquired his leadership skills and became the consummate master of strategic planning and military operations — he was the indispensable man of the moment,” said Senior Curator Sarah Meschutt. The addition of the Washington portrait is “key to expanding our collections to gather impressive paintings that will drive the themes of American resilience and patriotism, and this portrait fits perfectly with that goal.”
About the Washington Portrait & Charles Peale Polk
In this portrait, Polk portrays the general as the victor of the Battle of Princeton in 1777. The victory was a triumph for Washington and stirred American patriotic morale at a critical moment in the war, according to JYF. Polk depicts Washington as an imposing uniformed figure holding a sword and large black hat, while patriot soldiers in the background relax in the American encampments outside the city, the foundation added.
Polk typically used the painterly devices that characterize Charles Willson Peale’s portraits of George Washington, according to JYF. Peale had adopted Polk, his nephew, when he was orphaned as a child in 1777. He trained Polk in his Philadelphia studio. There, in 1787, Charles Willson Peale had a life sitting from the general and completed the iconic “Convention Portrait” that inspired this painting.
The unsigned portrait of George Washington at Princeton, executed in oils on canvas and measuring approximately 32-by-25 inches in a gilded frame, was previously held in a private collection in Portugal before resurfacing in America three years ago and authenticated by Linda Crocker Simmons, former curator of American paintings at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.
About the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown
Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown, along with its museum shop and café, is located on 200 Water Street in Yorktown.
Admission is $20 for adults, $10 for youth ages 6-12 and free for ages 5 and under. A value-priced combination ticket is available with Jamestown Settlement. Parking at the museum is free. Residents of York County, James City County and the City of Williamsburg, including William & Mary students, receive complimentary admission with proof of residency. Tickets are available online or in person at both museums.
For more information, visit jyfmuseums.org.
