Topic 3 - George Washington, Houdon, 1792

George Washington was the…

leader of American forces that overthrew the British in the American War of Independence - later became the first president of the US

the style is…

neoclassical

made from…

Carrara marble

the figure’s scale is…

life-sized

commissioned by…

Virginia General Assembly to celebrate the victory and Washington’s pivotal role in it

Benjamin Franklin asked who to do what?

Thomas Jefferson to travel to France and engage Houdon in the artwork

He travelled to America and worked…

from life

he stayed at George Washington’s…

Plantation home at Mount Vernon to take detailed measurements of his arms, legs, face, chest and a mask of his face

the statue was completed in…

France

shows Washington dressed in….

contemporary clothing, not neoclassical robes

the aim was to present a…

tireless leader, alert and ready to serve, in civilian as well as military capacity

solidity and forms on the right works to…

balance openness and delicacy of pose on the left, providing stability and sculptural mass

the aim was to capture the ….. of Washington’s role and identity as a …… and …..

duality / private citizen and a public soldier

shown standing looking to the….

left distance with a satisfied stately air

he is in the ….. pose mirroring the classical pose of ….. - then regarded as a measure of grace and nobility

contrapposto / Polykleitos’ Doryphoros of c. 440 BC

left leg slightly…

bent with a half stride forward suggesting vision, purpose and determination, while the right leg carries weight

the right arm rests on a…

walking cane

the left arm sits atop a…

fasces (bundle of sticks) - Roman symbol of power and unity

the fact the sword hangs on ….. represents the…..

outside of the fasces represents the nobility of the hero who knows when the need to fight is over and the civilian concerns must take over

often read as a subtle reference to the….

Roman republican leader Quintius Cincinnatus who was seen as a symbol of manliness, humility, sacrifice for common good, leadership and modesty - a leader who after a swift victory returned quietly to work on his farm

this reference is reinforced by…

the presence of a plough behind Washington, suggestive of peaceful civilian life