Between the mid-1840s and his death in 1860, Rembrandt Peale painted at least seventy-nine portraits of this type. Based on his monumental, illusionistic portrait the Patriae Pater (1824), purchased for the US Capitol collection in 1832, this smaller, simpler variation was designed for modest spaces and private homes.

Here, as in his larger picture, Rembrandt’s goal was to create an inspirational, lifelike image that conveyed the strength and character of the man then celebrated as the nation’s hero. It was also a continuation of the Peale family tradition of Washington portraiture established by Rembrandt’s father, Charles, the only artist given the opportunity to paint Washington from life seven times, between 1772 and 1795.

Bold in color and design, the painting highlights Rembrandt’s skill; his subject’s gleaming flesh and sculptural features, set against a luminous background, produce an intense visceral effect and turn the man into an icon.