“George Washington” by Horatio Greenough

This statue of George Washington is a massive sculpture by Horatio Greenough commissioned for the 100th anniversary of U.S President George Washington’s birth.

Washington, who was born in 1732, is depicted seated with his chest bare and with his right arm and hand gesturing with an index finger pointing towards the heavens.

His left hand cradles a sheathed sword, with the sword handle forward, symbolizing Washington turning over power to the people after the American Revolutionary War.

The rear base of the George Washington statue has a Latin inscription, which in translation reads:

“Horatio Greenough made this image as a great example of freedom, which will not survive without freedom itself.”

The U.S. Congress commissioned Greenough to create a statue of Washington for display in the U.S. Capitol rotunda.

The statue, however, generated controversy and criticism, as many found the sight of a half-naked Washington offensive or comical.

The statue was relocated to the east lawn of the Capitol, and as disapproval continued, it was moved again and eventually transferred it to the Smithsonian.

Horatio Greenough based this statue of the first president of the U.S on the ancient statue of Zeus at Olympia, which was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. 

It was a giant seated figure of the Greek God, about 13 m (43 ft) tall, made by the famous Greek sculptor Phidias around 435 BC.

It was destroyed during the 5th century AD, and details of its form are known only from ancient Greek descriptions and representations on coins.

“George Washington” by Horatio Greenough

• Title:                  George Washington Statue
• Artist:                Horatio Greenough
• Year:                  1832
• Material:           Carrara marble
• Dimensions:     3.5 m × 2.6 m (136 in × 102 in × 82 1/2 in)
• Museum:           National Museum of American History

Horatio Greenough

• Artist:           Horatio Greenough
• Born:            1805 – Boston, Massachusetts
• Died:            1852 (aged 48) – Somerville, Massachusetts
• Nationality:  American

Greenough’s Portrait of George Washington

A Tour of the National Museum of American History

• Star-Spangled Banner Flag
• “George Washington” by Horatio Greenough
• John Bull Locomotive
• Greensboro sit-in Lunch Counter
• USS Philadelphia – 1776 Gunboat

Horatio Greenough’s George Washington

Exploring George Washington in Art

• George Washington’s War Tent
• “George Washington” Lansdowne Portrait by Gilbert Stuart
• “George Washington,” The Athenaeum Portrait by Gilbert Stuart
• “Washington Crossing the Delaware” by Emanuel Leutze
• “The March to Valley Forge” by William B. T. Trego
• “George Washington” by Horatio Greenough

A Tour of Washington, D.C. Museums

• National Gallery of Art
• National Museum of American History
• National Air and Space Museum
• National Museum of African American History and Culture
• National Museum of Natural History
• National Portrait Gallery
• Smithsonian American Art Museum
• The Phillips Collection
• Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
• International Spy Museum
• National Museum of Women in the Arts
• United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Apotheosis of Washington

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“Example, whether it be good or bad, has a powerful influence.”
– George Washington

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Photo Credit: By Wknight94 talk (Own work) [GFDL (gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons