Washington on His Deathbed

About the Art

Stearns is best known for a series of historical paintings depicting the life of the first President of the United States, George Washington. Here, Washington is shown as a good Christian man stoically accepting his pending death, which came December 14, 1799, following a sudden throat infection. He is depicted as being surrounded by his family. In reality, those present when Washington died were his wife Martha, his doctor, James Craik, and Tobias Lear, Washington’s personal secretary. Also present were his enslaved valet, Christopher Sheels (who may be represented by the gentleman at the far right), and three slaves who worked in the house named Caroline, Molly and Charlotte.

FEATURED IMAGE
Junius Brutus Stearns (American, 1810–1885), Washington on His Deathbed, 1851, oil on canvas, 37 1/4 x 54 1/8 inches (94.62 x 137.48 cm). Gift of Mr. Robert Badenhop, 1954.16