Museum Collections
Luce Center
George Washington (1732-1799)
Title
George Washington (1732-1799)
Date
ca. 1785-1828
Medium
Painted plaster
Dimensions
Overall: 12 x 24 x 17 1/2 in., 25 lb. (30.5 x 61 x 44.5 cm, 11.3 kg)
Description
Portrait bust.
Credit Line
Gift of Dr. David Hosack
Object Number
1832.4
Gallery Label
Of the four main types of Houdon portrait busts of Washington set forth by Gustavus Eisen ("Portraits of Washington," 3, 1932, p. 757), this is the "with drapery in toga style" type. It was obtained by Dr. Hosack from the sale of the effects of the studio after Houdon's death in 1828. The face was not modeled from life but from the life mask that Houdon made at Mount Vernon in the fall of 1785. The mask is now in the Morgan Library, New York.
Due to ongoing research, information about this object is subject to change.





