The Revolutionary War portraits that adorn the U.S. Capitol serve a purpose beyond artistic decoration. In the early nineteenth century, Americans searched for icons to unite them as a new nation, particularly ones that evoked civic virtue. The only symbols that the fractured and growing nation could agree on were Revolutionary War heroes. Learn how the art commissioned for the Capitol, particularly portraits of George Washington, fulfilled this need for unifying symbols.
Video courtesy of C-SPAN’s American History TV
About the Speaker
Farar Elliott is the chief and curator of the Office of Art and Archives at the U.S. House of Representatives.