Images(2)

Plaque: George Washington

Dateca. 1800

Maker Herculaneum

Sitter George Washington 1732-1799

OriginEngland, Liverpool

MediumLead-glazed earthenware (cream-colored earthenware / creamware)

DimensionsOverall: 4 15/16 × 4 × 3/16 in (12.5 × 10.2 × 0.4cm)

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number1966-377

DescriptionCreamware plaque of oval form with slightly green glaze over creamy body. The front and back each with three faint, round stilt marks. With slight irregularities and numerous old labels to the backside of the plaque. The front with a transfer print of George Washington, after the engraving by Nutter after the portrait by Stuart. The portrait of oval form and banded with a thin black line.Label TextThough made in England, this plaque was almost certainly intended for the American market. Pottery owners in England were anxious to appeal to the American market (as well as their domestic one), and thus frequently decorated wares with designs that if not outright treasonous, given the recent American War for Independence, would have likely raised an eyebrow. It features one of the more recognizable images of George Washington: the so-called "Athenaeum portrait," left unfinished by the artist, Gilbert Stuart, in 1796. This is the basis for the design on the American dollar bill. The painting was engraved by William Nutter in 1798, and this was likely the design source for the plaque.Inscription(s)noMark(s)noProvenanceE. Evans, Preston, Birkenhead, England