PORTRAITS OF GEORGE WASHINGTON BY PAINTER GILBERT STUART

 

The painter Gilbert Stuart first painted a portrait of George Washington from life in 1795 showing the right side of Washington’s face and again in 1796 showing the left side of Washington’s face. From these two life paintings, Gilbert Stuart painted many other portraits of George Washington. One of these portraits painted by Gilbert Stuart was used for the image on the one dollar bill. For this reason, Gilbert Stuart’s interpretation of the way that George Washington has become the dominant image of George Washington in the public’s mind today.

Vaughan Portrait of George Washington by Gilbert Stuart

Unfinished Portrait of George Washington by Gilbert Stuart

Lansdowne Portrait of George Washington by Gilbert Stuart

Williamstown Portrait of George Washington by Gilbert Stuart

Constable-Hamilton Portrait of George Washington by Gilbert Stuart

 

Gibbs-Channing-Avery Portrait of George Washington by Gilbert Stuart

George Washington in retirement and Washington’s death

George Washington in retirement

George Washington’s last birthday party

 

George Washington died in the master bedroom at Mount Vernon on December 14, 1799. The previous day he had gone on a horseback tour of his estate in freezing rain. Returning to his Mount Vernon soaked to the skin, he originally complained of a sore throat. During the night, however, the sore throat turned into a restriction of his throat that increasingly prevented him from breathing. His personal physician tried bleeding him several times to save his life, to no avail. He died in the master bedroom of Mount Vernon the following day with his closest companions at Mount Vernon by his bedside.

Washington burial vault at Mount Vernon

George Washington was initially buried in the original family burial vault at Mount Vernon. Before his death, however, he had specified that a new brick burial vault be built to replace the crumbling original family vault. George Washington’s body was moved to this new burial vault in 1831 after construction on it was completed.

Washington’s tomb in the U.S. Capitol

When the U.S. Capitol was designed, a tomb underneath the rotunda was created with the intention that it be the burying place of George Washington. It was only because George Washington specified in his will that he instead be buried at the family burial vault at Mount Vernon that he is not buried under the U.S. Capitol.