Painting George Washington

A new exhibit at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Arts provides a survey of the portraits of America’s first president and war hero, General George Washington. 15 of the most famous and interesting likenesses are the work of the American master Gilbert Stuart, and behind the series lies a fascinating tale of the evolution of an artistic relationship between painter and subject. Washington was not an easy personality to capture on canvas, but over the years, Stuart managed to break down the president’s defenses, and earn the trust of the most powerful man in a new country.