Washington

New York: W.L. Ormsby, 1830. Line-and-stipple steel engraving. A superb early American engraving after Gilbert Stuart’s full-length "Lansdowne" portrait of Washington, executed by the seminal engraver Waterman L. Ormsby.

This masterful print by Waterman Lilly Ormsby showcases his technical brilliance in steel-plate engraving and represents a pivotal moment in American art and printmaking. Derived from Gilbert Stuart's iconic Lansdowne portrait of George Washington (1796) (originally painted for the British statesman William Petty, 1st Marquess of Lansdowne, and now housed in the National Portrait Gallery, Washington, D.C.), Ormsby's rendition (truncated) brought this defining image home to American audiences with unprecedented precision and quality. Ormsby's meticulous engraving demonstrates exceptional skill. His work reflects a conscious effort to present Washington as a republican statesman emphasizing constitutional authority and unity. The publication of Ormsby's plate from his Fulton-Street premises in New York occurred at a significant moment when the young republic sought to establish a recognizable visual iconography. This engraving standardized Washington's image for countless Americans who would never view the original painting. Ormsby, trained at the National Academy of Design and already recognized as a premier line engraver, later significantly contributed to American financial security by founding the New York Bank Note Company and inventing engraving technologies essential to preventing counterfeiting. Ormsby's print serves as an important historical document reflecting the evolution of artistic and technological intersections in 19th-century America.

See Hart 285; Wick fig. 40. (Inventory #: 41950)