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Picture of the day
George Washington
is a 1780 oil-on-canvas painting by
John Trumbull
, depicting
George Washington
, the
commander-in-chief of the Continental Army
and later the first
president of the United States
, standing on a bluff above the
Hudson River
. His enslaved personal servant,
William "Billy" Lee
, is attending Washington's horse. The view across the river encompasses
West Point, New York
, with a red-and-white striped banner – possibly the
Navy ensign adopted in 1775
– flying atop the fortress. Trumbull served on Washington's staff as an
aide-de-camp
early in the
American Revolutionary War
and painted this portrait from memory about five years later while studying in
London
. It was the first authoritative representation of Washington available in Europe and was soon copied throughout the continent. The painting has been in the collection of the
Metropolitan Museum of Art
in New York City since 1924.
Painting credit:
John Trumbull
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