Who saved the Gilbert Stuart painting of George Washington from the White House before it was burned in 1814? (2024)

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Who saved the Gilbert Stuart painting of George Washington from the White House before it was burned in 1814? ›

During the War of 1812, First Lady Dolley Madison famously saved the portrait from near-certain demise. Before vacating the premises on August 24, 1814, Mrs. Madison ordered that official papers and the Washington portrait should be saved from British hands.

Although the burning of Washington, D.C. occurred long after George Washington's death, the first president played an important role. Dolley Madison chose to have his portrait rescued from the White House just before the building went up in flames.

Dolley Madison continued entertaining at the White House until war virtually reached her doorstep. The dinner table was set for 40 guests the day she left the White House. She and a few servants had remained at the White House, packing up valuable documents, silver, and other items of importance.

The painting was never delivered to Washington. Instead, Stuart used it as a model for many replicas, capitalizing on Washington's fame. After Washington's death, he used it to paint 130 copies which he sold for $100 each. More than 60 of these copies still exist.

Dolley Madison is credited for saving the Declaration of Independence from burning when the British set fire to the White House on August 24, 1814 during the War of 1812.

President James Madison and his wife, Dolley, stayed until the last moment. On her way out of the White House, Dolley grabbed the famous Lansdowne portrait of George Washington, saving it from certain destruction by the British.

The young national capital at Washington, D.C. became the center of the War of 1812 with Great Britain during the summer of 1814. The burning of the public buildings by the British was a humiliating defeat that struck at the symbolic heart of the country.

National Portrait Gallery

Lansdowne portrait / Location

One of four Stuart portraits of George Washington owned by the National Gallery, this 1821 work is derived from Stuart's second life portrait from 1796 (now jointly owned by the Museum of Fine Arts Boston and the National Portrait Gallery).

Stuart decided he didn't want to part with the portrait and so left it unfinished so he could refer to it for future paintings. The title “Athenaeum” refers to the Boston Athenaeum, where the painting went after Stuart's death.

Who was the traitor in the Declaration of Independence? ›

In 1776, George Washington rebelled against the established government of his day. We remember him as a patriot, but to his king and fellow colonists loyal to the king, Washington was the traitor and Benedict Arnold was the patriot. In 1861, pro-Union supporters defended the nation that had been created in 1776.

After eight years of construction, President John Adams and his wife Abigail moved into the still-unfinished residence. During the War of 1812, the British set fire to the President's House, and James Hoban was appointed to rebuild it.

His most famous copy has hung in the East Room of the White House since 1800. Numerous other artists also painted copies. In 2001, to preclude the original portrait's possible sale at auction, the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. purchased it for $20 million.

Washington was picked as the target because of its symbolic importance, its easy access from the sea, and the inability of inexperienced American troops to defend it. President James Madison and his wife, Dolley, were aware of the threat, and they made prearranged plans to escape the city if the British attacked.

When Gilbert Stuart put brush to canvas during George Washington's presidency, he painted the image most recognized today. Stuart wanted to paint Washington, for he expected that he could make a "fortune" on images of the Revolutionary War hero and American leader.