George Washington: A National Treasure
An exhibition’s companion Web site features interactives that detail the artistic, biographical, and symbolic elements in a monumental portrait of our first president.
What stories does one painting hold? What can a painting reveal about its subject, its artist, and the context in which it was painted? George Washington: A National Treasure, a site for the Smithsonian Institution’s National Portrait Gallery, invites visitors on an exploratory journey into one of the most famous and iconic images of George Washington: the Lansdowne portrait painted by Gilbert Stuart in 1796. Considered a true national treasure, the portrait conveys the symbolic power of one man’s stabilizing leadership in a fragile world. The focal point of the site includes two very different interactive portraits: one that enables visitors to learn about the painting through three different interpretations, and an interactive mystery that encourages kids to learn about Washington by uncovering clues in the painting. The site also includes a George Washington chronology, lesson plans, and a Town Hall forum for visitors to exchange reactions and ideas.