Saturday, July 4, 2015

George Washington In The Eye of The Beholder

Today, as America celebrates its independence, one cannot help but to think of the country's founding fathers and George Washington in particular, the young nation's first president.  Imagine what it must have felt like to lead an army of soldiers to victory and then head an independent fledgling nation as its leader.  

Deeply respected both in life and death, George Washington is often depicted in portrait paintings and sculptural works of art with a justifiable amount of pride, typically wearing military garb.  Which is why when I first laid eyes upon Horatio Greenough's twelve ton marble sculpture I was all astonishment.

Was this really a likeness of George Washington that met my gaze, or some Roman impostor?  I had never seen anything quite like it and instantly delighted in its quirkiness.

Chronica Domus
Horatio Greenough's depiction of George Washington as you've never seen him before
Photo: Chronica Domus


Seated upon a throne, and resembling the Roman god Jupiter or the Greek Zeus in pose, the semi-naked Washington looks more akin to a mythical being than a mere mortal or an unwavering general. According to Kirk Savage, the author of the book Monument Wars: Washington, D.C., The National Mall, and The Transformation of The Memorial Landscape, the statue has become "...the most reviled public statue ever erected".  This could very well explain why it now sits in the National Museum of American History in Washington D.C. where I had the pleasure of viewing it firsthand several years ago.  I'm simply wild for it.

Greenough's statue was completed in 1841 and installed in front of the United States Capitol building where it remained until its removal in 1908.  I think it rather a shame that this striking and imposing depiction of George Washington had become the butt of many a joke in America. Clearly Greenough's portrayal is intended as allegory at a time when the young nation was still finding its feet, taking aesthetic cues from democracies of the ancient world.  At the base of the statue, toward the rear, an inscription in Latin reads "Horatio Greenough made this image as a great example of freedom, and will not survive without freedom itself".

As I've already stated, I find this particular incarnation of George Washington rather wonderful. Perhaps it is because I have always had a soft spot for classical art and architecture. The statue reminds me of the countless ancient examples I've had the privilege of viewing on trips to Italy and Greece, and those found in the British Museum and beyond.

What's your reaction to this statue - like it or loathe it?

I wish you all a very happy Independence Day.

19 comments:

  1. CD,
    Sorry, I don't like it. I think of the stories I've read of his character and this doesn't seem like a statue that depicts his true persona. I can appreciate the beauty of the piece, however, and I understand the logic the artist used in creating it. Interesting that somehow I've never seen this piece in any book I've encountered.
    I hope you are enjoying a relaxing day. Happy Independence Day.
    xo,
    Karen

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    1. Hello Karen,

      Interesting comment regarding you not seeing this statue in any book you've come across. I am now left wondering if this is a deliberate attempt at keeping it out of the public realm.

      Delete
  2. It is so unfitting as The Father of our Nation eschewed Roman Emperor like power and stepped down after 2 terms. His prominance and reputation was so great in his own time he could have easily made himself a dictator.

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    1. GSL,

      See my comment to J.W. below for a little more on what this depiction is all about. Perhaps this will persuade you a little to hop over to my side of the fence.

      Delete
    2. My Dear CD,
      i'm going to stand firm on this as the allegorical symbol with Roman attire might have worked in the context of a magazine illustration with accomanying essay providing context but not appropriate for a monument intended for such conspicious public display.

      Delete
    3. Hello GSL,

      Art is of course subjective, which is precisely why I titled this post "... In The Eye of the Beholder".

      I've enjoyed reading everyone's response to this piece so thanks again for joining in on the discussion.

      Delete
  3. I've always thought it was silly, considering what President Washington was like in life. I'm sure the President would have recoiled if he could have seen it. ;-)

    That said, I think that most people of our time rarely, if ever, come across allegory. Perhaps due to the unfortunate underfunding of arts education.

    I enjoyed your timely post.
    J.W.

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    1. Hello J.W.,

      Indeed, I agree with you with regards to encountering allegory in art today - a rarity for sure.

      With this particular statue, Washington's left arm cradles a tilted sword which is meant to represent Washington turning power over to the people following the revolutionary war. I think this aspect of the piece is crucial in its understanding.

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  4. Hello CD, I do like this sculpture as a reflection of its times and as a quirky portrait of Washington which is not like all the rest, although most of time I prefer to view Washington as an 18th century American rather than as a Roman emperor. Greenough was one of a number of ex-pat American sculptors in Italy at that time, all of whom were absorbing classical ideals and aesthetics. Perhaps similar in idea but less strange to modern tastes would be Hiram Powers' draped bust of Washington: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hiram_Powers_-_Marble_bust_of_George_Washington,_c._1844,_Cincinnati_Art_Museum.jpg

    --Jim

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    1. Hello Jim,

      Thank you for providing the link to Hiram Powers' bust of Washington. I can see both artists were influenced greatly by their travels and what they were viewing in Europe.

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  5. I understand it as a piece, a form of apotheosis (like his depiction in the painted dome of the capitol building). But perhaps the aggrandizement is not befitting the man, but more the elevation of the ideals he stood for. As a piece of sculpture I think it is not well executed (it is no Canova), its proportions are not quite right.

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    1. Hello Lord Cowell,

      Please see my comment to J.W. above that is in line with your thinking regarding the "elevation of ideals he stood for".

      As a piece of sculpture, I agree with you. It may not be a Canova, nor Michelangelo's David, but I enjoyed discovering it and what led to its creation. By the way, talking of David, don't you think his hands and head are entirely too large and out of proportion to the rest of his body?

      Delete
    2. Yes, not in proportion. Interestingly Michaelangelo's David has hands that are intentionally disproportionately large, as well as a large head. This is not typical of other Michaelangelo sculptures.

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  6. Somehow it just strikes me as cartoonish (I know, not a real word). It's as if the head had been grafted onto the body of the sculpture and seems incongruous. I wish I could say I liked it, but no

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    1. Hello slf,

      See my comment above to Lord Cowell re: proportion. Don't you agree?

      Delete
  7. It puts me in mind of pictures taken of someone's face, poking through a hole in a picture of people in period dress. General Washington (to the end of his days, he preferred to be addressed as Gen. Washington) would have joined me in loathing this. While he always ordered and requested the best, he wasn't a man for folderol. When Congress was discussing how the president should be addressed, Adams suggested his high and mightiness. At that Washington said he would be Mr. President.

    After returning to Virginia, when his second term as president had ended, the General wrote that he would rather be at his farm in Virginia, than to be emperor of the world.

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    1. Hello Janet,

      Oh, your first sentence had me laughing, thank you, and if I had a splendid farm in Virginia in the form of Mount Vernon, I too would retreat there and never leave.

      Thank you for visiting today and for your comment. I do hope you come back again soon.

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  8. I have been looking and reading people's comments to let my feelings settle...

    I feel it is an odd marriage.

    At first even though I saw your title - I didn't realize that was meant to be GW. So I was reading and was surprised this was GW. It's not the best marriage.
    I understand where the artist is getting at but doesn't really pull it off. Sometimes something like impressionist art with its blobs and dabs of paint can convey something literal and yet this literal impression can't convey an impression of GW I find.

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    1. Hello Naomi,

      Thank you for your comment. I think the best thing about this post is that it has fueled quite an interesting discussion on how prominent figures in history are portrayed and whether or not the representation is/was appropriate.

      For me, when first viewing this GW statue and coming to a screeching halt before it, I was inspired to learn more about why it had been commissioned, and by whom, and the meaning behind the imagery. Now, if a piece of art can do that to a viewer, I think it a success.

      Delete

Please do leave a comment as I enjoy the dialogue with my readership, thank you.

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