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BRIdge from the Past | George Washington Videos

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George Washington Lansdowne Portrait by Gilbert Stuart | BRIdge From The Past
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7 Min

What does Gilbert Stuart’s “Lansdowne” portrait of George Washington tell us about the first president? In this episode of BRIdge from the Past, Mary examines the 1796 painting of George Washington during his final year in office. The iconic portrait of the first commander-in-chief would have a complex ownership history over the next 200 years, culminating in the National Portrait Gallery receiving it as a gift in 2001. What parts of this painting’s history are significant to America? What decisions on how to portray Washington made by Stuart give us a greater understanding of the first president as a person?
7 Min
Inside Capitol Dome: John Trumbull’s Washington Resigning His Commission | BRIdge from the Past
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6 Min

What does the painting of George Washington resigning his commission in the U.S. Capitol tell us about the importance of the rule of law as a Founding principle? In this episode of BRIdge from the Past, Mary explores John Trumbull’s General George Washington Resigning His Commission painting which depicts Washington resigning as commander in chief of the Continental Army to Congress in December of 1783. What do the setting of this painting and Trumbull’s Declaration of Independence painting have in common? Why was this moment an important choice to be enshrined in the U.S. Capitol?
6 Min
Inside the Capitol: The Painting of Washington Under the Rotunda | BRIdge from the Past
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8 Min

What does the painting inside the U.S. Capitol Dome tell us about the concepts of law and liberty? In this episode of BRIdge from the Past, Mary explores the famous painting inside of the U.S. Capitol Dome. Called the ‘Apotheosis of Washington,’ this painting was designed in 1854 and is chock full of American imagery and symbolism to examine. What does the symbolism found in the eye of the Capitol showcase to you?
8 Min
A Tale of Two Georges: Exploring Portraits of George III and George Washington | BRIdge to the Past
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21 Min

This week, Mary brings Gary on to compare the portraits of the famous two Georges of early American history, George Washington and King George III of England. They'll explore the reasons behind each man's deliberately chosen outfits and stances. What do these paintings convey about the leaders' confidence and leadership against the backdrop of the Revolutionary War? And what unlikely similarities between the two men do these paintings reveal?
21 Min
Washington Crossing the Delaware | BRIdge to the Past: Art Across U.S. History
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17 Min

Emanuel Leutze's "Washington Crossing the Delaware" is an image we see frequently in the United States from a young age. It has been reproduced and repurposed by artists into the present day. Washington's decision to cross the river with his men in 1776 was made in desperation, yet Leutze portrayed it 75 years later as an epic and heroic moment in time. What can this reveal about interpretations of symbolic events in American history? Join BRI staff Mary Patterson and Liz Evans to find out.
17 Min