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George Washington Lansdowne portait

Gilbert Stuart 1796

  

Portrait of King George III

Allan Ramsey 1761-1762

Great Seal of The United States

13 stars & 13 stripes on seal represent the 13 British colonies, this shows that this was while he was president

Two eagles holding many arrows on leg of chair, this shows that America is always prepared for war

Books titled General Orders, American Revoloution, and Constitution and Laws of The United States. 

These books are referring to George Washington's past experiences/ accomplishments establishing his credibility to be president.

Suit usually worn to public occasions back then.

Standing in an upright position making him look presentable and like a leader.

ink and papers on his desk showing that he is taking care of things.

Curtains are moved aside revealing a admirable blue sky, this is saying that America is great place to be.

This portrait's main focus is to show that he is fit to be president 

He is dressed in coronation attire relating to royal tradition 

Vibrant colors in his attire show his high position in society

Royal stance relating to royal posture tradition

Crown is sitting on table where his hand rests.

columns in the back imply this is a regal room

This portrait's main focus is to represent how noble King George III is

These paintings are similar because they were painted in a way that focuses on showing what role both George Washington and King George III had in society. However these two paintings are different because they are portraying two different things; Washington's presidency and Georges's royalty. The Lansdowne Portrait shows Washington in office during his last year of presidency, this painting depicts George Washington as fit for president because of things shown in the background. For example the books both under the desk and on the desk show Washington's credibility, and the blue skies outside show that everything is calm under his control. The Portrait of King George however is painted to show his high position in society. The composition of this picture suggests he is very noble, components of this picture that show royalty are the crown that is on the table where his hand is rested on, the clothes he is wearing, his stance, and the columns in the background.

American Identity in the 18th century meant that you prioritized the well being of your country over everything else. You respected your country and those running it. In the Lansdowne portrait George Washington looks more humble than King George III does in his portrait, this suggests that in America we don't focus on what we wear but we focus on making America the best it can be. King George III's portrait is focused on representing how noble he is, showing off his crown and his extravagant clothes where as Lansdowne portrait is focused on showing how good of a president Washington really is by establishing his credibility with the books around the room and showing figuratively that the skies are blue while he is president and everything is under control because he is president. 

Comparing the Portraits 

What does this comparison reveal about American Identity?

Contemporary Image 

Here is a picture of Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United States. This looks very similar to Lansdowne portrait because it shows him in office, dressed appropriately, in front of his desk and an American flag beind his desk, with a smile on his face showing he loves what he does. His blue tie could represent him being a democrat. He looks like a trustworthy person here and like hes capable of being president.

obama-2nd-portrait_1.jpg

References 

"George Washington (Lansdowne Portrait)." National Portrait Gallery, http://npg.si.edu/object/npg_NPG.2001.13 

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