George Washington

Giuseppe Ceracchi

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Italian-born sculptor Giuseppe Ceracchi came to Philadelphia in 1791 hoping to earn a commission from the United States Congress for a monument commemorating the American Revolution. To demonstrate his skill and attract attention, he modeled portraits from life of George Washington (1732–1799) and other influential Americans, which were later carved in marble. Although Ceracchi did not receive the coveted order from Congress, many of Washington’s contemporaries considered this portrait among the most lifelike to be made. Its realism was a far cry from the idealization that typified most Neoclassical sculpture. Moreover, Ceracchi's proposal was deemed grandiose and provoked James Madison to describe him as: "an enthusiastic worshipper of Liberty and Fame [whose] soul was bent on securing the latter by rearing a monument to the former." Indeed, in spite of the unfamiliar accoutrements of an ancient Roman military hero, the facial features are distinctly recognizable.

European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The fifty thousand objects in the Museum's comprehensive and historically important collection of European sculpture and decorative arts reflect the development of a number of art forms in Western European countries from the early fifteenth through the early twentieth century. The holdings include sculpture in many sizes and media, woodwork and furniture, ceramics and glass, metalwork and jewelry, horological and mathematical instruments, and tapestries and textiles. Ceramics made in Asia for export to European markets and sculpture and decorative arts produced in Latin America during this period are also included among these works.

Metropolitan Museum of Art