Gilbert Stuart's iconic "Lansdowne" portrait of George Washington, painted in 1796, depicts the first president in his final year in office. Originally commissioned by Senator William Bingham as a gift for British statesman William Petty, the 1st Marquess of Lansdowne, the painting remained in England for over 170 years. It symbolically represents Washington's address to Congress, with allegorical elements like books (General Orders, American Revolution, Constitution & Laws of the United States) and a sky showing both storms and a rainbow, signifying his leadership through turmoil.
The portrait had been on loan to the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery since 1968. In 2000, its owner decided to sell, offering the Institution an exclusive purchase option for $20 million by April 2001. This news prompted a public appeal for funds, culminating in an extraordinary $30 million gift from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation of Las Vegas. This donation secured the painting for the nation and allocated an additional $10 million for a national tour and its permanent display when the museum reopened.
In 2016, the portrait underwent an 18-month conservation treatment, generously funded by Bank of America. Conservators, led by CindyLou Molnar, removed a yellowed resinous varnish, revealing the artist's original colors and intent. Advanced digital imaging techniques, including ultraviolet fluorescence and infrared reflectography, were used to understand Stuart's materials. The meticulously conserved "Lansdowne" portrait was reinstalled in the renovated "America's Presidents" exhibition in September 2017.
