Vintage George Washington Standing Bookends

Offered is a vintage set of George Washington bookends. The bookends depict George Washington standing, with his hand resting on a classical column. Washington wears a suit with long flowing robes. The bookends have a square base with George Washington’s name.

The bookends are styled after the famous oil painting of George Washington by Gilbert Stuart. The full-length portrait of George Washington was painted in 1797, and depicted Washington in the final year of his presidency. While other artists of the same period had depicted Washington as a military leader, outfitted in his Revolutionary military uniform, Stuart was the first portraitist to paint Washington as the country's first president, in robes and a civilian suit, emphasizing the fact that he had resigned his commission as a military leader. 

Stuart’s portraits of Washington are celebrated as some of the most accurate depictions of the great leader. Speaking on Stuart's ability to capture Washington's likeness, author John Neal wrote in his book Randolph in 1823, “If Washington should appear on earth, just as he sat to Stuart, I am sure that [he] would be treated as an impostor, when compared with Stuart's likeness of him, unless he produced his credentials.”

CONDITION:

Good condition overall. Light tarnish from age and past use, but bookends are sturdy. Dimensions: 6 1/4" H x 3 3/4" W x 2 1/4" D (each).