| Portrait of George Washington Taking the Salute at Trenton | |
| Artist: | John Faed |
| Year: | 1856 |
| Medium: | oil on canvas |
| Height Metric: | 142.2 |
| Width Metric: | 105.4 |
| Height Imperial: | 56 |
| Width Imperial: | 41 1/2 |
The Portrait of George Washington Taking the Salute at Trenton is a large full-length oil on canvas painting by the Scottish artist John Faed depicting General George Washington on the battlefield at Trenton, New Jersey, during the American Revolutionary War. The equestrian portrait was the basis for the engraving Washington Receiving a Salute on the Field of Trenton by the British artist William Holl.[1] [2]
John Faed (1819–1902) was a member of the Royal Scottish Academy. In 1856, the portrait was sold to the publisher James Keith for . According to biographer Mary McKerrow, "Why he painted this important posthumous equestrian portrait of George Washington Taking the Salute at Trenton has still to be discovered." According to the provenance provided by Christie's, the painting originated from a commission by Andrew Carnegie. It sold in 1969 for at Christie's auction house.[3] By 1982, it was in the collection of St. Mary's Art Guild in Detroit, Michigan.[1] In 1984 the painting was sold anonymously for by Sotheby's.[3] The painting was on display at the Westervelt–Warner Museum of American Art, renamed the Tuscaloosa Museum of Art, created by Jack Warner to display his art collection.[4] Washington was Warner's personal hero. The art museum closed in 2018.[5]
General George Washington (1732–1799) is depicted in full military uniform, a blue coat over buff waistcoat and pants, riding on a white horse. There is a leopard-skin blanket under his saddle. He is holding a tricorner hat in his left hand and an outstretched sword in his right hand.[6] The background shows a small group of military tents.[2] The figure's head is based on the work of another painter, namely the Athenaeum Portrait of Washington by the American painter Gilbert Stuart (1755–1828).[7] [8] The painting is 142.2cm (56inches) high and 105.4cm (41.5inches) wide.[9]
Washington Receiving a Salute on the Field of Trenton is an engraving by William Holl (1807–1871) based on Faed's equestrian portrait. In 1865, the National Art Association of New York published it exclusively for subscribers. The print is 24inches high and NaNinches wide.[6] The print was recommended for school use and seen in classrooms.[10] [11]
William Spohn Baker notes:[6]
In 1866, an advertisement in the Herald of Health for this engraving stated:[12]
In 1880, his portrait bust engraving was used to illustrate an article on Washington in the Magazine of American History.[1] [13]
Shadows of Liberty (2016), by American contemporary painter Titus Kaphar, is a reimagined presentation of the painting.[14]