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.
Related Topics
The Civil War in Art: Teaching and Learning Through Chicago Collections
Integrate these two guides into your curriculum to help students develop visual and textual analysis skills.
Analyzing Composition in Paintings
Incorporate art into lesson plans with this resource from The Metropolitan Museum of Art.