Up Close with George Washington

Of all the presidents among the National Portrait Gallery’s collection, George Washington—America’s first, famously honest commander in chief—is the most represented. This exhibition takes as its subject the Lansdowne Portrait, the preeminent image of Washington (excepting his appearance in the epic crossing of the Delaware). The curators show how Washington’s figure, as well as the objects that surround him, embody key American principles—from democracy to prosperity and peace. This virtual history lesson sees art, architecture, and American symbolism developing alongside the Nation. —C.J.F.