Repost from @smithsoniannpg using @RepostRegramApp - @smithsonian repost: #GilbertStuart painted thi

Repost from @smithsoniannpg using @RepostRegramApp - @smithsonian repost: #GilbertStuart painted this life-size portrait of George Washington in 1796, the last year of his two-term presidency. The piece in @smithsoniannpg refers to Washington’s past and present leadership:
Washington is depicted as he appeared as president on public occasions: in a black velvet suit, a white shirt with lace ruffles, black stockings and shoes, and wearing a dress sword. It’s the only full-length portrait that shows him as president, rather than as a general.
The large books under the table—titled General Orders, American Revolution, and Constitution & Laws of the United States—point to his roles as commander of the American army and as president of the Constitutional Convention. The books on the table are titled Federalist—referring to the Federalist Papers—and the Journal of Congress.
The ornate chair and table, the columns and the curtain (while fictional) represent the hall of Congress.
☁️The sky in the background has dark clouds to the left, the symbolic storms that have abated for the rainbow on the right. #PresidentsDay (at National Portrait Gallery)
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