The American Star (George Washington) 1800 - 1803

Painted in the United States by Frederick Kemmelmeyer, this watercolor and ink on laid paper, celebrates George Washington. Images like this circulated to cultivate a national identity in the early republic. The visual codes construct Washington as a modern-day Caesar. The American flag, eagle, and declaration, act as props to support his apotheosis. This symbolic visual language speaks to a desire to fashion the United States as a classical republic. This image helps us to think about the ways that political images operate, and how a new nation uses art to construct its own history and mythologies. When interpreting such images, it is important to consider how the artist, the patron, and the public might have understood them at the time. We can learn more through publications such as pamphlets, newspapers, and other printed ephemera. Close attention to the visual and textual record help art historians better understand the public role of art.