The Image-Cult of George Washington
Focused on George Washington as symbolic figurehead of an emerging national mythology for the new United States
Washington as
- pater patriae, ìfather of the nationî
- primus inter pares, ìfirst among equalsî
- ìnew Cincinnatus,î Roman figure called from his farm to lead military, then relinquishes power to return to his farm
Ambivalent symbol of the soldier-turned-statesman
Portrayed most often in painting, ceramics, textiles, and prints ; seldom in sculpture (too few sufficiently skilled sculptors, and too great an expense)