Apotheosis of Washington 1800 - 1802

Editor: Here we have John James Barralet's engraving, "Apotheosis of Washington," created between 1800 and 1802. It's striking, quite literally ascending! The composition is...well, rather theatrical. What leaps out at you when you look at it? Curator: Oh, the drama! It's Neoclassicism at its most gloriously over-the-top. But you're right, theatrical is key. It's like a stage production frozen in time. Washington, almost godlike, is ascending to the heavens. What do you make of the figures surrounding the tomb? Editor: I see symbols of mourning: a weeping woman draped over the tomb, weapons lying scattered. I assume this speaks to his death and the nation's grief, perhaps? Curator: Exactly. And not just grief, but the passing of an era. See how an American Indian is depicted, slumped and dejected? It's allegorical, representing the relinquishing of the old world for the new, guided by Washington's ideals. It’s quite the visual statement, isn't it? Editor: It's interesting how Barralet blended the classical style with such an American subject. It feels like an attempt to create an instant mythology for a new nation. Curator: Precisely! They were consciously building a visual language, drawing on the past to shape the future. It reminds us how powerful images can be in crafting a national identity – even with a touch of spectacle. What's your take-away from that visual language in that period? Editor: That art has the power to solidify cultural beliefs and historical memories and to forge new social imaginaries. It gives me new eyes when observing art and helps to think and dream about different possibilities! Curator: That’s profoundly insightful. Perhaps our "instant mythology" worked; that’s how he has become more than the man.