George Washington c. 1936

Edward Grant, born in 1855, painted this George Washington with watercolors. The brushstrokes are delicate, almost like whispers, laying down pale blues, browns, and tans. I imagine Grant, leaning in close, trying to capture not just the likeness of Washington, but maybe the weight of history itself. Look at the way the colors bleed softly at the edges, giving the whole figure a kind of ethereal quality. It’s like Washington is emerging from a dream or fading into one. There’s a sketch of the full statue hovering near the head of this painting, perhaps Grant was making studies for a sculpture. Maybe he struggled with the details of the uniform, the set of the jaw, the way the light catches the powdered wig. But then, that's painting, isn't it? A process of constant questioning, of trying to pin down something elusive. We, as artists, are forever in conversation, borrowing, stealing, and transforming what came before.