THOMAS PRICHARD ROSSITER

George Washington and Family.
Thomas Prichard Rossiter; oil on canvas, 1858-1860. The Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association Collections, Gift of Nanine Hilliard Greene, 2000, Conservation courtesy of The Founders, Washington Committee Endowment Fund [H-4173].

Here, then, is Thomas Prichard Rossiter’s conception of a private George Washington, finally at ease in his beloved Mount Vernon home. The artist painted this intimate, domestic scene of Washington and his family after visiting Mount Vernon in 1858. He has imagined Washington, Martha and her two granddaughters, Nelly and Eliza Custis, together with an enslaved servant, as they might have passed a quiet afternoon in Washington’s study. The women look up from their pursuits (sewing and writing) to focus on Washington, who has paused from reading the book in his left hand and seems on the verge of conversation. A diagonal light enters the room from an unseen window behind Washington and illuminates the faces and hands of all four sitters, thereby drawing attention to their industry and intelligence. Rossiter was keen on historical accuracy, and he used his first-hand observations during his visit to reproduce the glass-fronted bookcases on the far right, as well as the decorative woodwork (paneled door, mantle, wainscoting, molding and cornice), and to give viewers a faithful impression of the room. Moreover, he carefully integrated Washington relics throughout the room—the framed prints, ceramic vases, lamps, sculptural portraits, silver cups, chairs, and candlesticks—which he found illustrated in Benson J. Lossing’s popular book, Mount Vernon and its Associations (1859).