Object Details
- Exhibition Label
- This heroic sculpture depicts George Washington as a Roman emperor, a popular European tradition for representing political and military leaders. The portrait is based on a likeness modeled in Philadelphia in 1791 or 1792 by Italian sculptor Giuseppe Ceracchi, who came to the United States seeking the commission for a congressional monument to Washington (which was never made). A plaster cast of his life portrait of Washington was acquired in 1809 by Thomas Appleton, American consul in Livorno (Leghorn), Italy. A decade later, Italian sculptor Massimiliano Ravenna made several marble copies of the portrait for sale in the United States.
- Provenance
- (Peter Hill); purchased NPG 1970
- See more items in
- National Portrait Gallery Collection
- Date
- c. 1819 copy after 1792 original
- Object number
- NPG.70.4
- Credit Line
- National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
- Attribution
- Massimiliano Ravenna
- Copy after
- Giuseppe Ceracchi, 4 Jul 1751 - 31 Jan 1801
- Sitter
- George Washington, 22 Feb 1732 - 14 Dec 1799
- Topic
- George Washington: Male
- George Washington: Military\Army\Officer\Revolution
- George Washington: Politics and Government\Statesman\Colonial Statesman
- George Washington: Natural Resources\Agriculturist\Farmer
- George Washington: Military\Army\Officer\General
- George Washington: Politics and Government\President of US
- George Washington: Science and Technology\Engineer\Surveyor
- George Washington: Congressional Gold Medal
- Portrait
- Medium
- Marble
- Dimensions
- 69.5cm (27 3/8"), Accurate
- Data Source
- National Portrait Gallery
- Type
- Sculpture
- Record ID
- npg_NPG.70.4
Related Object Groups
3D Model