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The Family of George Washington by Edward Savage 


This portrait called. "The Family of George Washington" was painted by Edward Savage from 1789-1796. Many things in this portrait can give us a glimpse into the family life of George Washington. The black man standing in the back right is said to be one of the family’s slaves, William Lee. This portrait was replicated many times, and he was often left out, probably because of the racism and prejudices of the time period. I am reading many books and researching Martha’s life in-depth and there is a lot of evidence that they treated their servants very well. I like this painting because it shows how important education was. There is a map spread on the table and a globe close by. I can imagine George and Martha teaching their grandchildren not to be narrow-minded and ignorant. Martha’s headdress makes her the same height as Washington although he was 15 inches taller than her.  This supports the claim that Martha was definitely George’s equal in all ways. The two complemented each other and were very fond of each other. Edward Savage was not one of the most skilled or well-known painters of this time, but his portrayal of the Washington family has a certain raw and natural beauty to it. I like how the awkwardness of some of the body proportions is made up by the beauty of the fabric on Martha’s gown, and other intricate details.