George Washington, A National Treasure

This site walks participants through an exploration of Gilbert Stuart’s Landsdowne portrait of George Washington using three different filters: symbolic, biographic, and artistic. Each filter highlights a different element in the portrait and provides unique information and a distinct interpretation. After working through the interactive presentation, students should be able to effectively interpret the portrait as a primary document. They can also use these filters and related questions to analyze additional artistic works. The site provides a series of lesson plans on George Washington’s life.